Englewood board approves compliance agreement and construction contract for Denver Water interconnects

The Englewood Utilities Board approved a compliance agreement with Denver Water and authorized construction of two interconnection points intended to supply the city in the event of a catastrophic failure at the Allen Water Treatment Plant or of major transmission infrastructure.

Cliff Stevens, engineering supervisor with utilities, told the board the project identifies two connection points that serve both pressure zones in the city and would supply 100% of Englewood’s water in an emergency. Stevens said the compliance agreement formalizes Denver Water’s requirements for design, inspections, pre-construction meetings, review fees, asset security and warranty and clarifies ownership and the parties’ responsibilities under the intergovernmental agreement executed in April 2024.

Stevens said the design has been completed by a licensed engineer and that the construction contractor is a Denver Water–prequalified firm. The board then considered and approved a related construction contract: Stevens said the selected bidder (listed in staff materials as “T Low”) was not the lowest price but was judged to have the strongest approach and track record for difficult, high‑profile work. The construction contract amount in the staff presentation was $5,257,000; Stevens said staff recommended a 10% contingency, bringing the project authorization to $5,780,000.

Board discussion focused on project purpose and the parties’ legal protections. Board members asked whether the interconnects were a backup to previously abandoned connections; Stevens said earlier interconnections were inoperable or could not supply full system capacity. Another board member asked about language in the agreement referencing the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act; Stevens and other staff clarified that the agreement language is intended to preserve statutory immunities for both parties and is not a one‑sided waiver of liability. Board members also asked about locations; Stevens said the two interconnects are on Clarkson at Oxford & Nassau (one) and Oxford & Shenango (the other), with the physical interconnection point in Shenango and related work in Clarkson to reach Denver Water facilities.

The board voted to approve the compliance agreement with Denver Water and separately voted to award the construction contract as presented. Staff said pre-construction meetings, plan review and inspections with Denver Water remain next steps and that the interconnects are central to system resiliency because Englewood has a single treatment plant and other single points of failure (CityDitch, Union Avenue pump station).

The board recorded the motions as passed; staff will return with scheduling and inspection coordination with Denver Water.

Ending: Staff noted the interconnects are part of an ongoing multi‑year resiliency program. Construction scheduling, permitting and coordination with Denver Water are the immediate implementation steps and will be reported to the board as they develop.