Denver to test wastewater for fentanyl, high-risk substances

DENVER (KDVR) — Wastewater will soon be analyzed for answers about the increased fentanyl seizures and fentanyl overdoses in Colorado.

The Denver Department of Health and Environment, with support from Opioid Abatement Settlement Funding , is partnering with Biobot Analytics in a wastewater testing program. They will be testing for high-risk substances like fentanyl.

Law enforcement in Colorado has been finding more and more fentanyl in recent years. The Rocky Mountain DEA seized more than twice as much fentanyl in 2023 compared to 2022. This year, fentanyl seizures are on pace to break the record again .

Fentanyl is a “powerful synthetic opioid” and said it is linked to the increasing amount of fatal overdoses in the Mile High City.

Wastewater samples from Metro Water Revocery’s Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility will be tested. The results will reveal city-wide public health insights, which DDPHE said will help with targeted interventions, resource allocation, and evidence-based strategies for prevention and harm reduction.

Not only will the testing detect fentanyl and other substances within the Denver sewer shed, but DDPHE said it will show just how much the population is consuming such substances.

“We are committed to finding innovative solutions to address complex public health challenges,” DDPHE executive director Karin McGowan said. “This partnership will allow us to capture and analyze data that has the potential to drive positive outcomes in the fight against the opioid epidemic in Denver.”

Ultimately, DDPHE said the data-driven approach will help support Denver’s overdose prevention efforts “by detecting the presence of fentanyl, its adulterations, and related substances to better anticipate spikes in use within the community.”

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