Frequently Asked Questions

If discoloration occurs, try running only the cold water at one faucet for about 5 minutes and you should see that the water becomes clear. (Note that running the hot water, rather than cold water, pulls from the hot water heater and may delay or cause the water to not run clear.)

If the water doesn’t clear up after 5 minutes, wait for a few hours and try running the cold water only again. If the water is still discolored, please contact us so we can investigate why the water continues to have discoloration. Even if you are in an apartment or don’t pay your water bill direct, it’s important to let us know.

You may call the office at 303-790-4830 or email us.

If the water is discolored due to minerals, such as iron and manganese, the water remains safe to drink. It does look bad and we cannot blame you for not wanting to drink it. If your water is discolored, try running the cold water for 5-10 minutes. If it doesn’t clear up, please contact ACWWA at 303-790-4830, or email us.

It is recommended that you do not wash clothes when there is any discoloration in the water to avoid the possibility that it could stain any clothing - especially whites. If you have any further questions and / or continue to experience any ongoing discoloration in your water, please contact ACWWA at 303-790-4830, or via email.

ACWWA board meetings are open to the public and are held the second Wednesday of each month, at 9:00 a.m., at the ACWWA offices, 7135 S. Tucson Way Centennial, CO 80112. Other events are posted outside our building and are often advertised on our website.

Yes.  ACWWA can debit your credit/debit card (except American Express).  There is a 3rd party payment services processing fee that is calculated as the greater of $2.50 or 2.5%.

Yes, ACWWA does offer monthly automatic debit or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) service to both our residential and commercial customers.  This service is free to all customers.  You can use either your checking or savings account.

Simply Register your account online and be sure to select, "I want to manager my payment methods."

If you submit your form no later than the 15th of the month, your EFT will begin on the 20th of the same month (if the 20th of the month falls on a weekend, it will be processed on the next business day).  A letter or email confirmation will be sent verifying EFT set-up.

Our EFT program will automatically deduct your monthly balance due in full as indicated on your monthly bill.

Simply choose the Account Authorization Form from the list of Online Forms and follow the instructions.

ACWWA has not detected lead in the treated water leaving our plant or in the source water. However, lead can come from the customers plumbing.

According to the EPA, two types of homes may be at risk for lead contamination:

1. Homes that are very old (pre-WWII) with lead services or pipe lines

2. Homes that were built between 1983 and 1987, which used copper pipe with lead based solder. Lead based solder was banned from use on domestic drinking water plumbing in 1987.

Here are some ways to reduce your exposure to lead:

1. When water has been standing in your pipes, run the cold water tap until the water gets noticeably colder. The lower temperature indicates you have cleared the water that has been standing in the pipes.

2. Use only water from the cold water tap for drinking, cooking, and for making baby formula. Hot tap water dissolves lead faster and is likely to contain higher levels of lead if present.

3. When repairing or replacing plumbing, insist on lead-free solder and lead-free fixtures.

Odors are a natural part of the substances handled and treated at any wastewater treatment plant. Odors are typically contained to the wastewater treatment plant site; but occasionally odors drift from the plant site depending on weather conditions and wind direction.

Routine treatment operations are designed to reduce the amount of odors present; however, certain weather conditions and equipment maintenance may lessen the effectiveness of these routine odor control operations.

Most of the odors detected in and around wastewater treatment plants are signals that nature’s treatment process is working; organic matter is decomposing and pollutants are being removed from the wastewater.

As the table Odorous Compounds In Wastewater shows, three major odorous compounds naturally occurring in the treatment process, hydrogen sulfide, amines and mercaptans, are detectable by the human nose at extremely low concentrations.

Odorous Compounds In Wastewater

Were it not for odor control measures, all wastewater treatment processes are capable of emitting odors.

ACWWA currently operates the Lone Tree Creek Water Reuse Facility (LTCWRF) using best management practices that ensure the facility processes are operating in an effective manner.  If the processes are operating correctly, then odors are kept to a minimum.  The best management practices followed by ACWWA are listed below:

• On/Off Aeration – The On/Off Aeration process is used to help stabilize the waste storage tanks. Following an on/off schedule, staff is able to introduce denitrification (removal of nitrogen) in a process which would not typically be supported. On/Off Aeration not only aids in the ability to settle and dewatering separation, but it also creates an electrical cost savings because the blowers are shut-off for a period of the day. Slight odors can be emitted when we reactivate the aeration system after it has been off. Experience has shown that a 4-6 hour off period is the limit where the least amount of odors is emitted when the blowers are turned back on.  Temperature can affect the time-off duration.
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• Physical Barriers – All high odor areas are either covered or remain behind closed doors. The beginning of the treatment process is the most odorous. The doors to the Headworks, which is the first step in the treatment process, remain closed at all times.  The Parshall Flume, which is an influent measuring structure, and the Junction Structure 2, which allows staff the ability to dump into our emergency pond, or go to Headworks, all have covers that remain in place.
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• Process Monitoring – LTCWRF’s processes are carefully monitored twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for health and effectiveness.  The monitoring allows staff to proactively change processes prior to any upsets occurring, which potentially can cause unusual odors.

• Aerobic Digestion – Aerobic Digestion is the process of stabilizing sludge (the residual, semi-solid material that is produced as a by-product during sewage treatment) and can operate in one of two ways. Aerobic Digestion, which uses air to mix and sustain the biology or Anaerobic Digestion, where the digester is operating in a covered tank, which prevents air from entering the tank). Anaerobic Digestion is more prone to upsets and resulting odors.

• Primary Clarification – LTCWRF does not have a primary clarifier. Primary clarification is used to settle out and remove grit, solids and grease from the influent prior to Headworks. Primary clarification is the highest cause of odors in facilities that utilize them.

First of all, it is important to understand that odors are generated from every phase of wastewater management, including collection, treatment, and disposal, and that odors are impossible to prevent.  Please wait at least one hour before you consider calling our office.  Most odors, if detected, are temporary and will dissipate as quickly as they occur.  If the odor persists for over an hour and occurs in the same location you originally noticed it, you may call ACWWA, 303-790-4830, to inform the staff you detect an odor. Staff will ask you for the following information:

- Your name, address, and phone number;

- Information about the odor; such as, what time you noticed it, is it still noticeable, a description of the odor (refer to the Odorous Compounds In Wastewater table) and how strong is the odor.

Staff will record all of the complainant’s information described above; as well as, temperature, humidity, weather conditions, wind velocity, and wind direction.

All of the information combined helps staff determine if the odor is being emitted from the LTCWRF or from elsewhere, and most importantly if there is anything beyond best management practices that can be done to correct the issue.

ACWWA has been proactive in its water efficiency efforts but is looking to do more! ACWWA, in conjunction with various other agencies, has been developing efforts to get water efficiency information and education out to our children and in a regional effort, getting a consistent message out to everyone that water efficiency is very important. Also, in 2015, ACWWA developed a Municipal Water Efficiency Plan approved by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB).

In 2010, ACWWA developed a Water Conservation Program that puts many of the components identified in the CWCB  Plan into action. This also adds additional components with the intent to reduce overall water usage in our service area.

In 2013, ACWWA started taking delivery from this Project. Currently approximately sixty percent (60%) of ACWWA's water supply comes from the ACWWA Flow Project.

It is an abbreviation for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances which are manmade chemicals used in metal plating and a wide variety of consumer products including fire-suppressing foam, carpets, paints, polishes and waxes. The most studied types of PFAS are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluoroctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). Other monitored PFAS are for PFNA, PFHxS, and PFBS.

ACWWA’s drinking water is treated at blended reverse-osmosis purification plants at either the Joint Water Purification Plan (JWPP) or in partnership with Brighton’s reverse-osmosis purification plant. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “high-pressure membranes, such as reverse-osmosis (RO), has proven extremely effective at removing PFAS, should any be introduced into the system.” According to the American Water Works Association (AWWA), “membrane filtration (RO) is an excellent, broad spectrum way to remove PFAS.” You can read the AWWA’s PFAS article on our website.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a health advisory level for PFAS in drinking water not to exceed 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for the combined amount of PFOS and PFOA. That is the level, or amount, below which no harm is expected from these chemicals, based on daily consumption over a lifetime.

• Recently seven PFAS testing samples were taken from ACWWA at source-water intakes from alluvial and groundwater wells (before the raw-water is treated). Of the seven tests taken, four samples had no detection, and three showed results of 10, 12, and 13 parts-per-trillion (PPT), which were well below the EPA’s 70 PPT regulation. These were PFAS tests taken before water treatment.

• Of the three samples detecting PFAS at ACWWA’s source-water intakes, two of them were from wells used for irrigation only, so no inclusion into ACWWA’s drinking water supply. The other well test was from an alluvial well (a shallow well). This well either goes directly into a water storage tank before being used by any customer and is blended with other water sources, so any delivery of this water would be further diluted or it goes to our water purification (RO) plant which also mitigates any PFAS.

(*Sourced 03-01-2021.)

The CDPHE regulates PFAS based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) advisories. The EPA established a health advisory level for two of the chemicals in the Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) family. A health advisory level is to safeguard people, especially sensitive groups, with a margin of protection. This advisory is for PFOA and PFOS combined at 70 parts per trillion.