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Brighton utilities present water master plan; Lutz Reservoir expected to delay need for a second treatment plant
Summary
City staff and consultants presented a water master plan that models distribution, demand and growth. With the Lutz Reservoir non‑potable system online the council was shown scenarios that push a future Southwest surface water treatment plant design to about 2045 and operation to the early 2050s; the full CIP totals roughly $450 million.
City utilities staff and consulting engineers presented Brighton’s water master plan to the City Council, outlining system modeling, projected demand, and capital projects through build‑out.
"The water model turned out very nice, and it was calibrated very well," said Nick Worley, project manager with Plummer (the consulting engineer). Worley explained the model used hydrant flow/pressure tests and city meter data to reflect current conditions and to stress‑test the distribution system for 5‑ and 10‑year growth scenarios.
Worley emphasized the seasonal driver of demand: "Irrigation uses a lot of water," he said, noting winter daily flows of roughly 3–4 million gallons per day (MGD) and summer peaks of 12–13 MGD in the 2022 baseline chart used in the plan. With the currently under‑construction treatment facility rated for 20 MGD plus a Thornton interconnect of 2 MGD (22 MGD total), Worley’s scenarios showed that, without additional non‑potable supply, Brighton could need another treatment plant in the 2040s. A build‑out population estimate of about 135,000 people would require roughly 42 MGD of treatment capacity.
Scott Olsen, the city’s utilities director, said the Lutz Reservoir and its pump station—estimated to support about 4 MGD in the current configuration—will supply a non‑potable distribution to serve irrigation and reduce potable peak demand. "With Lutz Reservoir online, the demand isn’t even crossing our blue line," Olsen said, referring to the city’s potable capacity line on the consultant graph. The presentation showed that adding Lutz and additional non‑potable pumps could move the design window for a new Southwest surface water treatment plant out to about 2045, with an operational target in the early 2050s.
The master plan catalogs 22 projects (additional wells, augmentation storage, distribution upgrades, tanks, pumps and a future Southwest Water Treatment Plant) with an estimated cumulative cost of roughly $450 million; Worley and staff flagged the Southwest plant as the largest single line item at about $330 million. Staff told council that capital projects that fit within a 15‑year window are being prioritized in the rate study and CIP, and that phased construction and conservation measures can further delay large expenditures.
Council members asked about the choice of 2022 as the illustrative baseline and about life‑cycle and expandability of the new treatment plant. Worley and Olsen said the 2022 data were used because they were incorporated into the master plan and are representative; Olsen estimated the new plant’s operational life at 30–40 years with component replacements possible, but said the current site offers limited room for future physical expansion, meaning a second new plant would likely be needed in a few decades if demand continues to grow.
Next steps: staff will incorporate short‑term CIP priorities into the 15‑year rate study and continue conservation and non‑potable system planning; no formal council vote occurred during the study session.
