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| Our customers are fortunate to have one of the finest sources of drinking water in the nation … the Rocky Mountains. Nearly 75 percent of our water comes directly from snowmelt near the Continental Divide, making our customers primarily first-time users of the water. Being first-time users means that the water has not been previously treated, consumed and recycled for use; therefore, it is free of many chemicals and pollutants. To ensure the quality of this precious drinking water, we are diligent in areas such as watershed protection and water treatment. We take great pride in providing our customers with drinking water that meets or exceeds all state and federal water quality standards. Colorado Springs has built an extensive water collection and distribution system. Take a journey through 25 reservoirs and dams, and more than 200 miles of pipes and four major pump stations, to see how your water is brought to your door. And watch an 11-minute video that takes you through the history of our water supply and our planning for future generations. Water Treatment and Distribution
At our treatment plants, raw (untreated) water goes through several processes that remove suspended matter and provide disinfection. The end product (finished water) then enters our water distribution system, where it eventually arrives at your house or business through a water meter. To ensure the quality of customer drinking water during this entire process, our state-of-the-art laboratory facilities monitor the quality of both raw and finished water. The waters are tested and analyzed continually for chemical and biological factors. Some of these analyses are required to meet state and federal standards, while others are part of quality testing, such as taste and odor.
Did You Know? - Colorado Springs Utilities completes more than 400 water quality tests a month to ensure drinking water is safe.
- Colorado Springs Utilities owns the rights to 220,900 acre-feet per year of water and has the ability to transport more than 110,000 acre-feet per year of water to Colorado Springs from as far away as 200 miles.
- More than 50 percent of water used on an annual basis is used for outdoor irrigation.
- Most of Colorado Springs Utilities’ water comes from snowmelt high in the Rocky Mountains and is stored in 25 reservoirs. Customers used more than 22 billion gallons of water in 2003.
- Colorado Springs Utilities’seven water treatment plants can treat up to 232 million gallons of water per day.
- Colorado Springs Utilities’ 28 storage tanks store more than 101 million gallons of treated water prior to being distributed to customers.
- Colorado Springs Utilities helps people design economical, low water-use landscapes at our Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, 2855 Mesa Road.
Wetlands Protection
We are entrusted with management of wetlands at our Pinello Ranch, Clear Spring Ranch and watershed properties, as well as along streams in the vicinity of our natural gas, electric, water and wastewater lines. Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems valued for their wildlife habitat, flood control, groundwater recharge and natural treatment of water. The protection of wetlands is ensured through federal laws such as the Clean Water Act. We continue to meet or exceed all federal wetland protection and conservation requirements. Recent innovative wetland protection efforts include: - Developing a new route for the Otero water pipeline expansion to avoid disturbing wetlands in the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
- Implementing horizontal drilling methods and underground installation of a new natural gas pipeline under Fountain Creek to the Ray D. Nixon and Front Range Power plants
- Developing water-flushing procedures that eliminate chlorinated water from reaching wetlands
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