About Roxborough Water & Sanitation District
Located just southwest of the Chatfield Reservoir, the Roxborough area is known for its extraordinary backdrop of jetting red-rock formations. The Roxborough Water and Sanitation District (RWSD) is the entity that provides water and wastewater services to this unique mountain-set community of approximately 3,300+ homes and commercial customers located within the District’s boundaries.
The community’s raw water supply comes from the City of Aurora via the South Platte River Systems with a diversion at the Strontia Springs Reservoir. Basically the water from the mountains is redirected to the Roxborough area via pipeline on its way to the City of Aurora. It is then directed into the RWSD water treatment plant located just South of Titan Road where it is filtered to meet and/or exceed the strict water quality standards established by the State of Colorado. The pure Rocky Mountain water is then delivered into the homes of the Roxborough community. It’s no wonder the tap water in the area tastes so good.
The community’s wastewater is piped underground to the Littleton/Englewood Wastewater treatment plant (located north of Dartmouth and west of Santa Fe) where it is treated. By regionalizing its wastewater treatment with other districts, the RWSD was able to shut down its own wastewater treatment plant, avoid future capital upgrades to the plant, and to stabilize service costs by the economy of scale of sharing costs with other municipalities.
A secure, cost-effective, and sustainable water supply is the primary focus of The District. That’s why, in the year 2010, the District was pleased to have reached a cooperative commitment with the City of Aurora to accelerate discussion regarding the Roxborough community’s perpetual source of raw water. While Aurora is operating under a 50-year agreement with RWSD to provide raw water, that agreement terminates in the year 2022. Thus the District’s forward-thinking management is pleased that the agreement for Aurora to provide water past the year 2022, is taking place now. Having a guaranteed water source into perpetuity will help ensure the future of Roxborough’s properties values.
In addition to securing an agreement with the City of Aurora, the District is part of an inter-governmental agreement, called the WISE Partnership, comprised of Aurora Water, Denver Water, and the South Metro Water Supply Authority in which RWSD is a member. This agreement was enacted in 2010 to ensure the long-term sustainability of a perpetual water supply of the entire South Denver Metro area. Unlike many other Douglas County communities, Roxborough does not rely on ground water (a diminishing water source) for its water supply. That’s a good thing.
Residents here take pride in being part of a Water-Efficient community that is mindful of the natural environment, Colorado’s dryer climate with an average annual precipitation of about 17”, abundant wildlife, and of ways in which to save and protect their water. In fact, residents within the RWSD boundaries have significantly reduced their water consumption the past several years through more effective irrigation practices and by updating older fixtures to newer, water-efficient appliances for both the home and garden. (SEE REBATES)
No matter where you live, you can check out all our many water-saving tips to help you save money (and water, of course) by detecting toilet leaks (check out the simple “how to guide”) and the 102 ways in which you can use water wisely in your home and garden. (SEE WATER CONSERVATION)
Whether you are considering moving to the area, a new resident, or a long-time resident, you can learn more about RWSD by visiting this website in greater detail. Also know we are happy to answer any questions you may have. You can call us at 303-979-7286 or email us at Info@RoxH2o.org.
History
The Roxborough Water & Sanitation District (RWSD) was established in 1972 to provide water, sewer and fire protection service to the Roxborough Community. In 1999 RWSD was included in the West Metro Fire Protection District and thus fire protection service is no longer provided by RWSD. The District’s original 1972 Service Plan was based on providing service to 6400 units at build-out. Since 1972, the anticipated number of units at build-out has been reduced by down-zoning from multifamily to single family and the acquisition of a large portion of the District by Roxborough State Park. While several adjacent parcels have been included in the District, which partially offset the reduction in units, the estimated number of units at build-out within the existing District boundary is between 3700-3950 units. The loss of approximately 2460 until from the original 6400 units has created significant facility and financial planning challenges for the District, as well as living through a bankruptcy in 1975. With the change of fire protection service, the District changed its name to The Roxborough Water and Sanitation District in 2006. In 2007 the District connected to the Littleton/Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant allowing elimination of the District’s 30 year old Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Future
The District is in the process of negotiating a long term water supply solution with the City of Aurora to obtain water treatment service from Denver Water. These goals would result in eliminating District treatment, stabilize costs to customers and provide water supply certainty. The District is also working with other water providers, the State (CWCB) and Corps of Engineers in assessing, through an environmental impact statement (EIS), the possibility of adding 20,600 acre feet of storage to Chatfield Reservoir. The District is developing a replacement program for various facilities and infrastructure.
Through its comprehensive Master Plan, the District will assess future needs such as developing a Global Information System (GIS), updated telemetry system (communication between water and wastewater) infrastructure and future efficient management of the District after build out of homes and needed infrastructure is complete.