Established in 1918, Denver Water is Colorado’s oldest and largest water utility, covering more than 355 square miles across the broader Denver-metro area. Like many other large cities, Denver faces a public health challenge from lead service lines carrying drinking water to area homes and businesses.

Denver Water banned the use of lead in customer-owned service lines in 1971, and Congress followed in 1986 prohibiting new lead pipes in the Safe Drinking Water Amendments. However, the utility has estimated that 64,000 – 84,000 older properties in the service area may have lead water lines. In 2019, Denver Water made the decision to replace all of the lead lines in its service area, rather than use orthophosphate treatment which could create water quality problems for downstream users. To accelerate implementation and limit rate impacts, Denver decided to pay for these replacements at no individual cost to property owners. This program was made possible and affordable by the decision to finance the initiative, in part, using debt-financing to supplement available grant opportunities.