Tapped: The Denver metro region sits at the center of one of the American West’s most complex and consequential water challenges. This series examines the interconnected systems that determine how the region secures, stores, and conserves its water while navigating the competing demands of fast‑growing urban communities and the increasingly unpredictable mountain snowpack that underpins the entire system.

Parker Water and Sanitation District is one of the largest water providers in the county and serves roughly 78,700 residents from a mix of deep groundwater wells, renewable surface water from Cherry Creek, WISE deliveries and a reuse program.

In the early 2000s, about 90% of Parker’s supply came from nonrenewable groundwater, according to PWSD Manager Ron Redd. That reliance has steadily declined.

“We’re sitting at 60% ground water, so we’ve made a lot of strides towards renewable,” Redd said. 

A cornerstone of the district’s long‑term strategy is the Rueter‑Hess Reservoir, a 75,000-acre‑foot facility that opened in 2012 and is currently about 33% full. The reservoir allows PWSD to capture excess renewable supplies during wet years for use during drier periods.

Redd said expanding storage and treatment capacity is essential as Colorado’s renewable water cycles between wet and dry years. Through additional water rights and treatment plant expansion, the excess storage will allow the district to collect excess water from renewable sources during wet years, which can then be utilized to reduce the strain on nonrenewable sources during dry years, Redd said.

The district is currently expanding the Rueter-Hess Water Purification Facility’s daily capacity from 10 million to 20 million gallons per day. 

“Right now, our limiting factor is our ability to treat the water,” Redd said, explaining that increased capture and treatment infrastructure will increase district resilience and sustainability during drought conditions.

Another planned reservoir inflow is the Platte Valley Water Partnership. The $780 million program between PWSD, the Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District and Castle Rock Water aims to connect the reservoir to the South Platte River in Morgan County through 125 miles of pipes. 

“The only way to make that viable is to capture that excess water when it’s available in the spring and put it into storage,” Redd said. “So, storage is absolutely key to our long-term plan.”

PWSD is also reducing demand through rebates, regulations and development requirements. Programs include turf removal incentives, sprinkler retrofits, construction limitations, and system development fees. Seasonal watering restrictions further curb peak summer usage.

“Being half built out, and making some regulatory and conservation changes today, will have huge impacts in 20, 30 years,” Redd said.

During summer months, the average customer uses about 16,000 gallons per month, most of it outdoors.

“The other 11,000 gallons is going on the grass, and we would love to see that get cut in half as a minimum,” Redd said. “So that helps us stretch our water even further.”

Between now and 2050, population growth could double the number of customers PWSD serves, increasing daily demand by up to 12.3 million gallons, according to district projections. Redd said planned expansions and conservation efforts should allow the district to meet future needs.