The Capital Projects Construction Standards, 5th Edition (CPCS) establishes the standard requirements for projects within the Denver Water Combined Service Area.

The CPCS includes General Conditions, Standard Technical Specifications, and Standard Details.

• The General Conditions apply exclusively to Denver Water Capital Projects.
• The Standard Technical Specifications and Standard Details are to be used on all projects and are no longer published in the individual project Contract Documents. Only project-specific specifications and details are published in the individual project Contract Documents along with references to specific standard details.

The CPCS is formatted in accordance with the Construction Specification Institute framework which separates specifications into divisions and sections. The CPCS has three volumes:

• Volume 1: General Conditions and Standard Technical Specifications for Divisions 1–22
• Volume 2: Standard Technical Specifications for Divisions 23–40
• Volume 3: Standard Details for Divisions 1–48

• Denver Water Capital Projects rely on the CPCS, additional project-specific changes to the CPCS in the form of the Supplementary Technical Specifications, bidding and other contract requirements, and Project Specific Details, which are prepared separately for each Project.
• Used in conjunction with the Engineering Standards, projects approved under the Denver Water Plan Review process shall adhere to the CPCS Technical Specifications and Standard Details.

• The 5th Edition of CPCS is provided to reference the current requirements.
• The 4th Edition of CPCS is provided for reference on Denver Water Capital Projects approved prior to 2026.

The STP are updated monthly and shall be referenced in conjunction with the published 5th Edition to confirm the latest requirements in the Specifications and Details.

The STP shall be used to verify changes made to the latest edition of CPCS, and respective Section(s)/Detail(s), since its publication. For example:

1. Open the most current version of CPCS and identify the applicable Section or Detail to be reviewed.
2. Open the STP document, then, using CTRL+F search for the applicable relevant content.
3. Find the Standard Technical Specification Section, PART, and Subparagraph you need to confirm the most current content.
4. Once you have found the applicable Section, Part, and Subparagraph you will be able to verify if any content has been updated since the initial publication of most current version of CPCS.
   1. As an example, if you are looking for the latest Approved Manufacturers for SST Tapping Sleeves in CPCS, here is what you will do:
      1. Note the Specification Section, Part, and Subparagraph where the Approved Manufacturers are found (e.g., Section 33 14 17 - Water Service Lines, Part 2.1.B.2).
      2. Using CTR+F, navigate to applicable Section, then scroll down to the appropriate PART # and Subparagraph.
      3. In the STP document, you will find that there have been two changes to make note of:
         1. An approved manufacturer’s tapping sleeve diameter range was increased and,
         2. Another product was approved and added to the SST Tapping Sleeve list.
5. If there is no content, associated with the Section, Part, or Subparagraph within the STP revisions, check within the STP’s Technical Specifications Appendix that would house this information. If not, then no changes have been made.

Memorandum provides an explanation of content and effective dates.

Memo: 4th Edition Capital Projects Construction Standards Release

Supplementary Technical Provisions: February 1, 2026

Volume 1: General Conditions and Standard Technical Specifications, Divisions 1-22

Volume 2: Standard Technical Specifications, Divisions 23-48

Volume 3: Standard Details, Divisions 1-40

Supplementary Technical Provisions are utilized in conjunction with CPCS to ensure projects within the Denver Water Combined Service Area are following the most current version CPCS. However, for each Capital Project, Denver Water will prepare separate Supplementary Technical Specifications that provide project specific changes and additions to CPCS, bidding and other contract requirements including project specific details.

Contractors, Denver Water Distributors, Developers, Engineers, and other professionals shall use the STP to ensure their projects are designed and constructed in accordance with the most current CPCS requirements.

Projects shall use the most current version of CPCS in conjunction with the latest STPs published on the CPCS webpage at the time of construction.

The CPCS specifications are organized into the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) framework, also known as MasterFormat divisions. Each division categorizes construction subjects. For example, Division 33 Utilities will provide specifications for product requirements and approved manufacturers for water service lines and water main related work, in addition to the respective appurtenances (i.e., fire hydrants, valves, and fittings).

Utilize the Table of Contents provided at the beginning of each Volume of the CPCS. Once the appropriate Volume is identified, search for the document to look up the specific Section of a Division and review the information to gain the knowledge necessary for your project.

For plan review, CPCS Standards Details shall be referenced on the plan sheets in accordance with Denver Water's CAD Standards, Appendix C.

Submit general feedback or questions on the CPCS through our online form. 

Suggestions for new standard details or technical specifications for inclusion in the CPCS can be submitted through our feedback form.

Yes, other project specific specifications (i.e., vertical turbine pump specification) can be found within the CPPM under Project-Specific Technical Specifications.

Yes, Denver Water's CPCS may be used at no cost.

External requestors shall submit a CORA request. Internal access is provided through Digital Archives.