In survey after survey, citizens agree that high quality drinking water and excellent, reliable wastewater services are valued highly. Westminster has some of the best tasting water on the Front Range! But maintaining this level of service and quality is no accident. As our city’s utility system ages, more and more repairs and replacements are required. Westminster’s utility infrastructure is valued at over $4 billion, and within that figure are some infrastructure components whose ages range from the 1950s (and earlier) to items that have been installed recently. Each component has a lifespan, and costs to replace aging infrastructure are significant. 

In 2018, there will be an annual total increase of about $60 per single family account. This should amount to an average winter increase of about $3.60 per month, and an average summer increase (includes outdoor irrigation) of about $7.55 per month. These amounts are a result of an 8 percent water and a 6 percent sewer rate increase. 

Rate increases are never easy. The city understands that increases have a financial impact to residents. There are programs available for those needing assistance. 

The city’s goal is to deliver high quality drinking water and reliable wastewater service to every resident and business. Developing rates is a complex process, and the city works to ensure that the rates are sufficient to keep the $4 billion water and sewer system running at the level our customers deserve and expect.

If you have driven around Westminster over the past year, you have seen that the city has been very busy with water and wastewater projects. While these projects can cause traffic delays and other issues, they are critical to providing our residents and businesses with water and sewer utilities at a reasonable cost. Below are some examples of utility infrastructure projects that you may have seen in 2017:

• 95th Avenue and Federal Boulevard - about 1,200 feet of 6-inch sewer main from 1969 is being replaced (project cost: $1 million).
• 88th Avenue - water line built in 1969 being replacement (project cost: approximately $4 million).
• Sunset Ridge Water Tank - This tank, originally built in 1963, was removed and will be replaced (project cost: $16.5 million).
• Big Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant on North Huron Street - Improvements are being made to the treatment process (project cost: approximately $23 million).
• Sheridan Boulevard - replacement of about six miles of sewer main (project cost: $25 million).

There were many more projects that occurred in 2017, and more are planned for 2018 and beyond. Maintaining aging systems is expensive, though Westminster is able to do it and keep water and sewer rates at about average for the region. Westminster experiences some of the same increases in cost that homeowners do. Power, labor and supply costs increase each year; these are all major components of the city’s overall water and wastewater costs.