Soil Amendment Program

Amending your soil with compost has multiple benefits. Organic matter (compost) particles can hold moisture in the soil for extended periods, allowing water to be available to plants over a longer period of time. Compost can provide small amounts of the key nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K) and also increases microbial activity, which improves plant root growth. Compost also opens clay soils, allowing better drainage, and closes sandy soils, preventing water from leaching away too quickly.

For all meter sets requested as of August 1, 2008, Denver Water requires soil amendment before an appointment for meter set will be scheduled. If the property fails soil amendment inspection, the appointment for meter inspection/set will not be accepted, which may affect whether the property may be landscaped or occupied.

Failure to have the meter set or to pass meter inspection and complete the licensing process may also result in cancellation of the water supply license.

Properties meeting any of the following conditions are not required to amend the soil prior to meter set:

• Water tap for indoor use only.
• Property has less than 300 square feet of amendable area.
• Outdoor use limited to planter boxes.

The watering of landscape and/or occupancy of the premises prior to the installation of a meter are prohibited and shall constitute unauthorized use of water.

At the time of application for the water tap, a $100 soil amendment fee will be collected in addition to all other applicable fees. In the case of any re-inspections, a $70 trip charge will be assessed for each additional visit to the property.

Prior to the installation of any plant material, including sod, apply a minimum of 4 cubic yards of soil amendment product per 1,000 square feet of permeable area.

This soil amendment product must be incorporated or rototilled to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. The site must be raked smooth and finish grades must be established. Rocks and debris over 1-inch diameter that may interfere with planting and maintenance operations must be removed.

• Native grass-seeded areas may incorporate amendment at a rate of 2 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet. Seed mixes are required for submittal along with a map outlining the area.
• The soil amendment product applied to the premises must be on the approved soil amendment product list. All other proposed products must submit a full soil nutrient analysis or product specification for approval.
• Tilled soil amendment product is required for all permeable area of the property, including tree lawn and right-of-way adjacent to the property for which the property owner is responsible for planting and maintaining.
• Scraped properties will require compost only if a new tap and license is required and the existing landscape has been removed from the property as determined by the inspector.
• Properties requesting the use of amended topsoil require special review and submittal of a full soil nutrient analysis. As existing grades permit, product may be tilled in or existing soil excavated and replaced with amended topsoil. An application rate of 12 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet is required for amended topsoil. 

Provide documentation (invoice or load ticket) of soil amendment product, quantity of product and address(es) it will be applied to prior to inspection appointment.

Inspection will be arranged once documentation has been received and product approved. Documentation may be:

• Emailed — soilamendment@denverwater.org
• Faxed — 303-628-6190 (indicate soil amendment) 
• Mailed — Denver Water Conservation-SA, MC 330; 1600 W. 12th Ave.; Denver, CO 80204

Schedule an inspection with Denver Water by calling 303-628-6670. The inspection will take place within two business days of request.

Properties that pass will receive a hard copy notice the day of inspection. Properties that fail will receive a hard copy notice explaining the failure. The inspector also will try to reach the person who requested the inspection by phone.

If the property is served by a master meter distributor, the distributor’s representative will be notified whether the property has passed or failed via email within the next business day.

Once the property passes soil amendment inspection, the meter set/inspection appointment may be made the following business day.

The appointment for meter inspection/set will not be accepted if the property fails the soil amendment inspection. Denver Water will notify the party who made the appointment. For re-inspection, the same process applies, along with a $70 trip charge. The property may not be occupied or landscaped.

When weather and ground conditions (as determined by Denver Water) prevent the soil amendment inspection required for a meter set, the applicant for the meter set may deposit with Denver Water 25 percent of the system development charge for the property, at which time Denver Water will schedule the meter inspection even though the soil amendment inspection has not occurred.

The soil amendment inspection will then take place when conditions permit and no later than June 1 each year.

Once the property has passed the soil amendment inspection, the soil amendment deposit will be refunded to the originator of deposit, regardless of ownership of the property. No interest will be paid on the deposit. 

Contact Sales Administration at 303-628-6100 for the winter deposit amount for your property.

Note: Denver Water cannot perform the soil amendment inspection if the premise is landscaped.  Therefore, any landscaping that occurs prior to the inspection is done at the risk of the party obtaining the landscaping. Denver Water is not responsible for any monetary or property loss arising from removal of landscaping in order to perform the inspection.

Large projects that have landscape installed in segments over the life of the project may qualify for phased inspections. A complete site plan identifying the different phased areas must be submitted for review and approval prior to initial meter set.

Subsequent inspections for additional phases will incur a $70 trip charge for the owner/builder/developer's account at the time of initial meter set.