Denver Water hoping for more federal funding as it replaces thousands of lead pipes

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Colorado will get nearly $44 million in new drinking water infrastructure funding to help replace lead pipes, and Denver Water is hoping for a portion of that to help it replace service lines that deliver water to tens of thousands of Front Range homes.

The Colorado funding will be parceled out by the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority, but that hasn’t been finalized yet.

“While it is yet unclear how the state of Colorado will allocate this new funding, Denver Water will pursue any additional funding sources for the lead reduction program as they become available,” Denver Water spokesperson Jimmy Luthye told NewsBreak.

Denver Water, Colorado’s largest water utility, is already working through $76.1 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding it received in 2022.

That money is helping the utility pay for the replacement of up to 6,800 lead service lines, allowing it to shorten what was originally a 15-year program by about 1.5 years, Luthye said.

This month, the administration of President Joe Biden issued a rule requiring drinking water systems across the nation to identify and replace lead pipes within a decade.

To help pay for that, the Environmental Protection Agency announced $2.6 billion in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with $43.6 million earmarked for Colorado.

“No parent should have to worry about the water their kids drink,” tweeted U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat. “… CO will receive $44M in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to ensure @DenverWater & communities across our state continue to lead the way to replace harmful lead pipes.”

The EPA estimates that up to 9 million homes are served through lead pipes in the nation.

Denver Water estimates 64,000 to 84,000 homes in its service area in Denver and other front-range communities, are served by lead pipes. The largest concentrations of lead service lines lie northeast of Sloan’s Lake and to the west and southwest of Glendale.

You can see whether your home is on the list with an interactive map at Denver Water’s website.