DENVER , COLORADO – The City of La Junta’s New Water Treatment Plant and Denver Water’s New Water Reuse Facility were both honored by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) at the 2005 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition earlier this month. La Junta’s new water treatment facility produces 6.6 million gallons per day of water, making it the second largest Reverse Osmosis (RO) system in Colorado. The Southeastern Colorado City of 7,600 had over 50% of its residents drinking bottled water. With the new water system in place, residents have been able to do away with their home water softeners. Also, plumbing corrosion and soap use have been reduced, and the use of bottled drinking water has dropped below 5%.

Joe Kelley, Director of Water and Wastewater for the City of La Junta stated, “Through implementation of the Reverse Osmosis system our overall cost of water treatment has been reduced in La Junta and our customers think the water quality is great. The Engineers were able to create a Win – Win situation for all parties involved in the project and their dedication and attention to detail allowed the City to successfully complete the largest public project in the City’s history.”

The Denver Water Reuse Project was awarded an Engineering Excellence Award and will go on to compete in the National ACEC competition. The reuse facility supplies over 17,000 acre-ft of recycled water per year to both irrigation and industrial customers. The facility is the largest water reuse plant in Colorado and capable of producing 30 million gallons per day. The distribution system contains over 50 miles of pipe with 3 major pump stations and storage facilities.