Water Budgets
In response to the drought in 2002, and to encourage water conservation, Centennial Water and Sanitation District and the Highlands Ranch Metro District implemented an innovative water budgeting concept for water customers.  The water budget for outdoor irrigation provides enough water for healthy landscapes, but not so much that our resource is wasted.  Progressively higher tiered rates over the allotted budget serve to encourage conservation.  However, customers will only be billed for water consumed, regardless of their water budget amount.

Residential Water Customers
This program allows for a method of computing residential bi-monthly water bills based on an indoor and outdoor allocation component.  The indoor residential component is based upon average wintertime usage and may be adjusted for household population.  The outdoor irrigation component allows residents an amount tailored to their individual lot size.

Non-Residential Water Budgets
The indoor non-residential budget is based on meter size.  The outdoor irrigation component allows non-residential customers an amount tailored to their lot size if a separate irrigation-only meter is installed. 

Water Budget Adjustment Applications

Water & Wastewater Rates
The Metro District of Highlands Ranch arrange for a variety of utility services to be provided by various agencies to the citizens of Highlands Ranch. Water and wastewater services are provided through a contract with Centennial Water and Sanitation District. Street light services are provided by Xcel Energy upon tariffs approved by the Colorado Public Utility Commission.

The following describes the various charges on the utility services bill that each residential customer in Highlands Ranch receives on a bimonthly basis. Different rates are in effect for commercial and irrigation-only customers. Rates are subject to change by action of the Metro Districts Board of Directors.

Tap Fees
Please click here to view tap fee rates.

Water (Residential rates)

Usage up to 100% of your water budget	$ 2.30 per 1,000 gallons
Usage of 101% to 120% of your water budget	$ 3.45 per 1,000 gallons
Usage of 121% to 140% of your water budget	$ 5.20 per 1,000 gallons
Usage over 140% of your water budget	$ 7.80 per 1,000 gallons

Centennial Water provides drinking water to Highlands Ranch from a combination system of surface water and groundwater. Water is treated to high standards of quality and clarity at both the Joseph B. Blake Water Treatment Plant and a groundwater treatment plant.

Wastewater (Residential rates)
$20.51 plus a charge of $2.29 per 1,000 gallons of wintertime water usage above 3,000 gallons. 

Centennial Water provides collection and treatment of wastewater through the state-of-the-art Marcy Gulch Wastewater Treatment Plant. This plant discharges into a cold water fishery and consistently meets high standards for treatment quality. The essentially fixed-cost nature of wastewater treatment makes the monthly minimum charge necessary to ensure that rates are adequate to cover the costs of treatment.

Water Service Availability Fee
$25 per bimonthly period
The fixed costs of providing the repair and maintenance of both inside and outside meters, meter reading, billing, customer service and other fixed laboratory and administrative costs, as well as the fixed cost of debt service payments are intended to be recovered through this charge.

Street Lights (Rates)
$4.30 on each bimonthly bill.
This charge is intended to recover the costs paid by the Metro District to Xcel Energy for street light service in residential areas. Street lights along arterial roads are of common benefit to all citizens and are funded through property taxes. In contrast, street lights in residential areas are of direct benefit to individual property owners. Also, street lights in apartment complexes and some specific neighborhoods are paid for directly by the property owners in those areas. Charging a separate street light fee for residential street lighting allows for a more equitable distribution of these property-specific costs.

E-mail Centennial Water & Sanitation District at Information Please.  When sending e-mail, please include your name and phone number so we may also have the option to call you to answer your questions.