The Denver Zoo is the 2011 WateReuse Customer of the Year, thanks to its innovative uses of Denver Water’s recycled water.
Since 2004, the Denver Zoo has used recycled water at its Main Entry Plaza and Predator Ridge exhibit. Now, the zoo is busy on its largest expansion project ever, the Asian Tropics exhibit. The outdoor pools will be filled with water from Denver Water’s recycled water system, and although the Asian Tropics exhibit will hold more water than the rest of the zoo combined, the impact will be minimal because of the state-of-the-art filtration system.
The zoo also was recently named the Greenest Zoo in the Country by The Association of Zoos and Aquarium, recognizing its progressive sustainability practices. In addition to using recycled water, planting Xeriscape and implementing other water conservation measures, the zoo plans to convert 90 percent of the new Asian Tropics exhibit into clean energy, reducing its landfill contributions by 1.5 million pounds annually, and has installed several energy-conservation measures, among other sustainability practices.