Denver Water Headquarters
Denver Water is Colorado’s oldest and largest water utility as well as one of the state’s most innovative champions for sustainability and resource conservation. The five-year redevelopment of Denver Water’s 35-acre operations complex pushes the boundaries of what is possible in water efficiency and reuse, especially in the 187,000-square-foot administration building, which serves as the beating heart of the updated campus.
Context
The complex has been home to various Denver Water operations since 1881, and over time, the buildings became outdated and inadequate to support the operational and administrative needs of the agency. The full redevelopment included the demolition of 15 obsolete and inefficient buildings, renovation of two existing buildings, and new construction of four industrial buildings, a parking garage, a wellness building, and the LEED Platinum and net zero energy administration building.
Denver Water’s 187,000-square-foot administration building pushes the boundaries of what is possible in water efficiency and reuse. (Frank Ooms Photography)
Water Conservation, Efficiency, and Reuse Strategies
The pioneering water conservation and reuse strategies incorporated into the campus are inspired by Denver’s One Water plan, a management framework that fosters collaboration between public agencies that oversee the region’s water systems. The most visible applications of One Water strategies are in the administration building, which features rainwater capture for irrigation and on-site wastewater treatment and recycling.
A key component of the One Water philosophy is the integrated approach to all forms of water: drinking water, wastewater, groundwater, reclaimed and reused water, rainwater, stormwater, and floodwater. The development team included Trammell Crow Company as owner’s representative and master developer, Stantec as project architect, and Mortenson Construction as general contractor, along with a team of more than 200 design and construction subcontractors. Together, they incorporated a wide range of water-smart design strategies. The project aims to use the most appropriate source water for each water use, like rainwater for irrigation and toilet flushing. Other strategies reduce as much water demand and discharge to the environment as possible through recovery and reuse. For example, the project features low-flow plumbing fixtures throughout, rainwater-capturing systems on the roof of the administration building and parking garage, porous paving, bioswales, and a native detention pond on site.
The water recycling system (WRS) is the most unique and innovative element of the campus. Wastewater from restrooms and the cafeteria is diverted to the WRS, an on-site treatment system in which water travels through various closed and open aerobic tanks before routing through a constructed wetland and a final filtration process.
Denver Water headquarters’ blackwater is treated on site through various closed and open aerobic tanks, a constructed wetland, as shown in the photo, and a final filtration process before reuse. (Frank Ooms Photography)
Outcomes
The system is capable of recycling up to 7,000 gallons per day, which is more than enough to meet current demand. The updated campus demonstrates what is possible in water efficiency and reuse.
“We’ve seen across our portfolio that owning and operating high-performance properties is a sound investment strategy that can lower utility bills, improve tenant attraction and retention, and improve net operating income when executed correctly. We really believe this and we’re seeing it adopted more and more widely.” – Lee Ferguson, Vice President, Denver Office, Trammell Crow Company
