DENVER — Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025 — The Denver Board of Water Commissioners on Wednesday, Oct. 22, adopted rate changes to help pay for important upgrades, projects and ongoing maintenance and repair work to keep its system operating efficiently while keeping rates as low as good service will allow.

The new rates take effect Jan. 1, 2026, and for typical single-family residential customers who receive a bill from Denver Water, if they use 104,000 gallons of water annually the new rates will increase their monthly bill by an average of about $2.45 to $3.30 over the course of the year, depending on if the customer lives in Denver or in one of Denver Water’s suburban distributor districts.

“The work we do provides the critical water supply that the community we serve needs to thrive and grow. Continuing to maintain and invest in the system that supports our water supply will ensure that we — Denver Water as well as our customers — are ready for what lies ahead, from a warming climate to the potential for new regulations, while keeping rates as low as good service will allow,” said Denver Water CEO/Manager Alan Salazar.

Denver Water expects to invest $1.7 billion over the next 10 years in projects that will maintain, repair, protect and upgrade the system and make it more resilient and flexible in the future. The utility is committed to ensuring the system can reliably deliver safe, clean and affordable water to its customers while managing the impacts of the larger economy, from inflation to supply chain issues.

More details on the rate increase can be found at these links:

Water rates to edge up slightly in 2026 — Provides details on Denver Water’s rate structure and how the increase impacts customer bills, including an infographic visually highlighting the impacts to customers inside and outside of Denver.

Investing into our water supply — Highlights some of the projects that make up the utility’s 10-year forecast for an estimated $1.7 billion investment into the system that supports about 25% of the state’s population, including Colorado’s capital city. The story includes a video highlighting major recent and current projects, including  the Lead Reduction Program  that is replacing customer-owned lead service lines at no direct cost to the customer, the new Northwater Treatment Plant north of Golden completed in 2024, the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project, and our work to help create water-wise landscapes across our community. The investment forecast also includes improving and replacing aging water mains under the streets and improving the overall flexibility and resiliency of the system and our communities.