Denver Water manager to retire
Denver Water Manager Hamlet “Chips” Barry will retire this spring.
“Making the decision to retire sounds easy from a distance, but it is more difficult than you might expect, especially from a great job, at a very highly respected place like Denver Water,” Barry said. “After nearly 20 years as general manager of Denver Water, I have decided to retire.”
Barry is a Denver native who attended Denver Public Schools, graduating from George Washington High School in 1962. He graduated cum laude from Yale College in 1966 and earned a law degree from Columbia University Law School in 1969. Prior to his current position, he was the executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources for Gov. Roy Romer. He was named manager of Denver Water in January 1991.
During his tenure at Denver Water, the utility implemented a conservation program that is nationally and internationally recognized as a model of success, built a recycled water distribution system, invested millions of dollars into improvements at its treatment facilities, monitored recovery from several devastating wildfires in Denver Water’s watershed and led the work to recover from one of the worst droughts in the city’s history.
Denver’s Board of Water Commissioners is conducting a nationwide search for Barry’s successor and expects to name the new manager later this spring.
Public interests represented at Denver Water
The Citizens Advisory Committee is looking out for you.
Denver Water’s 10-member Citizens Advisory Committee was formed in the late 1970s to help represent public interests in Denver Water matters. The committee addresses topics of concern and advises Denver’s Board of Water Commissioners and Denver Water staff accordingly. Recent topics include:
Members of the Citizens Advisory Committee serve two three-year terms. The committee is composed of three Denver customers, two Western Slope residents, one suburban customer, one environmental representative, one public interest group representative, one representative from the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver and one suburban distributor representative.
You asked, we'll tell
Denver Water receives many frequently asked questions from our customers. With 2010 rates now in effect, below is a commonly asked question.
Why did Denver Water increase its service charge?
A service charge is a fixed charge Denver Water charges all customers, regardless of meter size or consumption, to pay for costs associated with reading meters, repairing meters and billing customers. When Denver Water’s costs in these areas increase, the service charge also increases.
In 2010, Denver Water’s service charge increased from $4.41 to $5.58 per month to help pay for those rising costs. Some of those rising costs include:
- More meter readers, more trucks for meter readers and more postage for costs associated with monthly billing.
- Almost 90,000 new encoder receiver transmitters (ERTs), devices that electronically transmit consumption data to meter readers. When the ERTs were installed a decade ago, they had a 10-year lifespan on their batteries. Those are being replaced with new ERTs that have a 20-year lifespan.
Denver Water does not receive tax money. It is funded entirely through rates, tap fees and the sale of hydropower.
To submit a question, send us an e-mail or call 303-628-6553.
Celebrate Earth Day the water way
Celebrate Earth Day this month with these simple indoor water conservation tips.
- Spend five minutes or less in the shower. Showers use less water than baths.
- Fix all leaky toilets, faucets and pipes.
- Install a low-flow showerhead.
- Replace an old toilet or inefficient clothes washer with a high-efficiency model, which can pay for itself over time in water savings. Earn a rebate from Denver Water for doing so.
- Insulate your water heater and water pipes. Doing so will save energy and cut down on the amount of water that goes down the drain while waiting for hot water to flow.
- Replace or install a low-flow aerator on your faucets.
- Wash only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. Wash two fewer loads per week.
- Chill drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the faucet until the water is cold.
- Run garbage disposals only when necessary. Compost food waste instead.
Simplify, save time and go green
Sign up to receive E-bills and pay automatically with Auto Pay.
Automatic Pay Plan – free
Your water bill payment will automatically be withdrawn from your bank account. Never worry about the due date again.
Enroll online today!
E-bills – free
Ready to go paperless? In addition to Denver Water’s Automatic Pay Plan, you can receive your water bills via e-mail.
After you have enrolled in our Automatic Pay Plan, click on E-bill and send Denver Water your e-mail address. Your next water bill will be e-mailed to you, saving paper with each bill.
Conservation in the early days of Denver Water
A Denver streetcar on Curtis and 14th streets in 1936 asks customers not to waste water. The modes of transportation and communication have changed over the years, but the message remains the same. Today Denver Water urges customers to adopt its signature slogan: Use Only What You Need.