Aurora Water advances evaluation of direct potable reuse; regional Northern Treatment Plant connection appears least costly

Aurora City officials and Aurora Water staff on May 21 discussed an ongoing evaluation of direct potable reuse, the process of treating reclaimed wastewater and delivering it directly to the drinking-water distribution system. Kevin Linder, Aurora Water’s Advanced Water Treatment Superintendent, said the city has operated indirect potable reuse since 2010 through the Prairie Waters project and is now studying DPR under Colorado’s newly issued Regulation 11.

The review is examining two primary connection options — a pipeline from Aurora’s Sand Creek reclamation facility and a shorter connection to Metro Water Recovery’s Northern Treatment Plant (NTP) — and the required enhanced source-water control, operation and outreach plans the state requires. “We want the water to be indistinguishable from all of our plants,” Linder said, describing Aurora’s standard of treating finished water so customers cannot tell its source.

Why it matters: Aurora’s master plan sets a PRA goal of diversifying supplies and reaching additional reuse capacity to increase drought resilience and system efficiency. DPR would reduce conveyance and stream losses tied to indirect reuse and could use existing advanced-treatment infrastructure…