Colorado is a headwaters state, with many of its rivers originating as snowmelt high in the Rocky Mountains. Unlike groundwater, surface water is renewable, and Aurora relies on it for 95% of its supply, with the remaining 5% coming from deep aquifer wells. Replenished each year through snowmelt, Aurora’s water supply travels up to 150 miles through a complex and interconnected system before reaching customers.
One of the challenges of relying on surface water is that precipitation levels can vary significantly from year to year, making much of the Colorado’s water supply highly variable and vulnerable to drought. Each spring, snowpack is reduced through several pathways; some snow is lost directly to the atmosphere under dry and windy conditions, while the remainder melts and either infiltrates into soils, flows into streams and rivers, or is captured in reservoirs for later use. Aurora’s water supply comes primarily from the Colorado, Arkansas and South Platte river basins. Additionally, Prairie Waters, which is not dependent on snowmelt, provides up to 10 million gallons per day, allowing the city to reuse its precious water supplies and increase the overall yield of the system.
Typically, snowmelt begins in early May and continues until about mid-July. Once runoff begins, the water is captured and stored in our 12 reservoirs and lakes.
Capturing and moving water to Aurora is just the first step. Once here, it is treated in one of the city’s three award-winning purification facilities using some of the most advanced technology in the country. Aurora’s water meets or exceeds all state and federal standards, and Aurora Water is the only U.S. city with three facilities recognized for “Excellence in Water Treatment” by the Partnership for Safe Water, an alliance of six leading drinking water organizations.
Our labs test over 85,000 samples each year to ensure safe, great-tasting water. Aurora Water’s laboratory has also won the Outstanding Water Laboratory Award from the Rocky Mountain Section of the American Water Works Association multiple times.
To learn more about Aurora’s award-winning water, visit AuroraWater.org.