Infrastructure Fee
The district assesses a monthly infrastructure fee based on the size of each customer’s water tap (see fee chart below). The fee is billed by Denver Water on each customer’s monthly water bill. The revenue is collected by Denver Water and remitted to the District.
Starting January 1, 2025 district customers will see an increase in the monthly service fee billed through Denver Water.
The fee will increase from $18 to $25 per 3/4″ meter. Customers that have a 1″ meter will see a new monthly service fee of $50. The fee is determined by the meter size and is reflected in the chart below.
Monthly Infrastructure Fee January 2025
| Size of Meter | Number of Equivalent | Monthly Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 5/8 – inch | 1 | $25.00 |
| 3/4 – inch | 1 | $25.00 |
| 1 – inch | 2 | $50.00 |
| 1.25 – inch | 3 | $75.00 |
| 1.5 – inch | 4 | $100.00 |
| 2 – inch | 8 | $200.00 |
| 3 – inch | 18 | $450.00 |
| 4 – inch | 36 | $900.00 |
| 6 – inch | 94 | $2350.00 |
Platte Canyon has over 76 miles of water mains in the drinking water distribution system ranging in diameter from 4” to 18”. Within this system is a substantial amount of cast iron pipe, which fails regularly and results in unplanned outages, property damage, and emergency repair costs.
Each year the District updates its 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan (Plan) to prioritize the replacement of water mains. While the District has replaced a number of failing cast iron pipes over the past 20 years, the current Plan accelerates the rate of water main replacement to the industry standard, which is 1% of the total system length per year.
Fully funding the 10-Year Plan allows the District to be proactive rather than reactive when dealing with water main replacements, as projects are prioritized so water mains most in need of repair are replaced in a timely manner. It will also lead to reduced operation and repair expenses by avoiding costly unscheduled repairs and replacements of deteriorating water mains. Most importantly, the accelerated water main replacement program helps avoid unplanned water shutoffs in your neighborhood and reduces the potential for public safety, public health and property damage impacts.
In order to fully fund the planned water main replacement projects, the Board adopted a monthly fee of $5.00 per ¾” equivalent on August 23, 2019. The fee is based on the size of the water service pipe serving each property.
With a continuous need for capital projects due to aging cast iron pipe nearing its end of life, combined with an increase in the cost of construction labor and materials, the district’s monthly service fee increased to $12 per 3/4” in 2022 and increased from $12 to $18 per 3/4″ meter in 2024.
To meet the financial requirements of the scheduled pipe replacement projects over the next ten years while maintaining adequate cash reserves, and absorbing increased construction costs, the monthly service fee increased from $18 to $25 per 3/4″ effective January 1, 2025.
Without the increase in the service fee, the district may not be able to fund the required water main replacement projects that provide residents with public health protection and safety. The district also runs the risk of depleting its cash reserves and being unable to perform the proper level of maintenance required to deliver safe, reliable drinking water to our customers. The district’s board of directors are considering several other options in order to fully fund the planned water main replacement projects.
If you have questions about the fee, please contact the District at info@plattecanyon.org or 303-979-2333.