About Us....The Past & The Future

Who We Are

Established in 1962, Parker Water and Sanitation District has always been proactive in its objectives to provide an ever-growing population with a secure and long-term, high-quality water service. Here you can learn more about our history and vision for the future as well as ways in which we are facing water challenges head-on. Together, we will lead the next generation of water ambassadors forward.

When the District first began operations, there were significantly less people using water than today. The south metro area continues to grow and present challenges for water and sewer service.

Parker’s Early Pioneers

There is a natural attraction to the town of Parker that dates back to some of Colorado’s earliest pioneers and homesteaders more than a hundred years ago. Several landmarks, like Twenty Mile Road, distinctly ties Parker to the heart of downtown Denver by this twenty-mile measurement. Early agricultural visionaries saw the opportunities here in the land and its valuable resources. These earliest families created the homespun heritage of Parker through the same conservation-minded practices that will always be necessary to protect our environment.

In 1962, the District's primary water source came from wells. As the PWSD service area, as well as water demands, climate, and population have changed, so too is the importance of moving forward by supplementing the depleting aquifers and focusing on renewable water sources. That’s how we build a strong future!

Today's State-of-the-Art Facilities

Previously, the primary water source for our community was groundwater. As has been widely reported in the news, groundwater (or water in wells) is a non-renewable water source that is depleting throughout Colorado.

Today, through the construction of the Rueter-Hess Reservoir, the building of District's water purification facility and collaborative partnerships, the District is determined to continue meeting demands by developing the necessary infrastructure to acquire, treat, store, and distribute water to all of our customers...today and into the future.

Rueter-Hess Water Purification Facility

: This technologically advanced plant is capable of treating up to 10 million gallons per day from the Rueter-Hess Reservoir, reducing the need for groundwater - hence, a more sustainable water resource.

Rueter-Hess Reservoir

has a capacity to store 75,000 acre feet. Stored water is then treated and distributed out to PWSD customers daily.

Wastewater treatment plants

: These facilities use the highest standards of advanced wastewater treatment to filter, treat, and clean water to meet and exceed federal clean water standards. The treated water is then discharged into Cherry Creek and/or transported to Rueter-Hess Reservoir.

Shallow wells

: Also called "alluvial" wells, Parker Water maintains/operates wells that draw alluvial water at the edge of the Cherry Creek. They are each between 50 and 75 feet deep.

Deep aquifer wells

: These wells draw water from deep, underground sources known as the Denver Basin Aquifers. They range from 515 and 2,745 feet deep.

Lift stations

: These facilities "lift" sewage from areas lower than the wastewater treatment plants in order to produce a gravity flow into treatment plants.

Pump and/or booster stations

: These facilities help pump water from one pressure zone to another, especially when the water is located and/or stored at a lower elevation than its destination (homes and businesses).

Water Tanks:

Hold water for business and residential use as well as Fire Flow Prevention.

Source of Water Supply

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The District relies on 45 wells located throughout the Parker area which penetrate the Cherry Creek Alluvium, as well as the Denver, Dawson, Arapahoe, and Laramie Fox Hills aquifers to depths ranging from 50 ft. to 2,745 ft.