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History

The sewage collection system and treatment facilities for Englewood and Littleton cities developed separately but in a similar manner. The collection system follows the natural drainage pattern in the area that leads to the South Platte River. The overall service area includes both cities’ own collection systems and systems built and maintained by 19 connector districts.

City of Englewood

In the early 1950s, the Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant was built at Santa Fe and Bates Avenue. The plant treated sewage from the Englewood service area and discharged treated effluent to the river. The treatment process was a very simple trickling filter plant — headworks, primary clarifier, trickling filters, secondary clarifier, anaerobic digesters, and support facilities. Between the original construction and 1971, the plant was expanded several times.

The final version of the Englewood WWTP had a north and a south plant with a 15 mgd treatment capacity. The original south plant was expanded to include a secondary process and disinfection. The newer north plant was a simple trickling filter plant similar to the original south plant.

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City of Littleton

The Littleton Wastewater Treatment Plant was originally built in the late 1940s in the vicinity of Santa Fe Drive and Belleview Avenue. This facility was also expanded several times and, by 1976, was treating 5 mgd to secondary standards before discharging into the South Platte River. to secondary standards before discharging into the South Platte River.

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In 1972, the Clean Water Act was passed by Congress. The Act required all waters of the United States to be fishable and swimmable. Improving the treatment of sewage was identified as a primary mechanism to achieve these goals. The Act required a minimum treatment efficiency of 85% removal. Neither the Englewood nor the Littleton treatment plants could achieve this level of treatment.


Both plants needed upgrades to meet the new regulations; however, the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) preferred to combine treatment needs at one larger facility rather than spend the money to improve two old, smaller facilities. Negotiations and planning for a new regional facility began in 1973. The result of this work was the Littleton and Englewood Regional Joint Use Wastewater Treatment Facility. The Englewood WWTP and the Joint Use Plant were known as the Bi-City Plant.


Since both service areas flowed by gravity to the Englewood WWTP site, the plant was situated at this site. The Joint Use Plant was rated for 20 mgd using a pure oxygen system to support the biological treatment process. The plant was conceived as a modern, computer-controlled facility capable of meeting advanced treatment requirements. The site and physical layout of the plant was to accommodate an ultimate capacity of 50 mgd. The new plant was primarily funded by an EPA grant, a state grant, and local funds. A portion of the funding was for innovative technology. The total cost of the new facility was $22,556,000, including the EPA grant of $13,000,000.  The plant was constructed in the mid-’70s, removing the two older treatment plants from service. The operation of the plant began in April 1977.

SPR Sanitation District List

District Address City Phone Numbers Email
Bow Mar Water and Sanitation District 8739 W. Coal Mine Ave. Littleton
80123
303-979-2333
After hours press #5
info@bowmarwater.org
Cherry Hills Heights 3400 S Clayton Blvd Englewood
80113
303-761-1333
Cherry Hills Village Sanitation 3333 S. Bannock St. Suite 250 Englewood
80113
303-762-8222 chvsandist@aol.com
Cherryvale Sanitation 1221 W. Mineral Suite 202 Littleton
80120
303-734-4800 rayr@haniecpas.com
City of Cherry Hills 2450 E. Quincy Ave. Cherry Hills
80113
303-783-2731 jgoldie@cherryhillsvillage.com
City of Englewood 1000 Englewood Pkwy. Englewood
80110
303-762-2635
City of Littleton 2255 W. Berry Ave. Littleton
80165
303-795-3767
After hours 303-748-5855
Columbine Valley 8739 W. Coal Mine Ave. Littleton
80123
303-979-2333 pjfitzgerald@plattecanyon.org
Country Homes Metropolitan 390 Union Blvd. Suite 400 Denver
80228
303-986-1551 tflynn@cccfirm.com
Grant Water & Sanitation 2922 Evergreen Pkwy. Suite 207 Evergreen
80439
303-674-3379
Ext. 201
jcs@jsimonson.com
Greenwood Village Sewer G.I.D. 10001 E. Costilla Ave. Greenwood Village
80112
303-708-6120 jorrigo@greenwoodgillage.com
Ken Caryl Ranch Water & Sanitation 10698 Centennial Rd. Littleton
80127
303-979-7424
Meadowbrook Fairview Metropolitan Sanitation 9850 Girton Dr, Unit B Littleton
80222
303-972-8054 mbwater@qwestoffice.org
Platte Canyon Water & Sanitation 8739 W. Coal Mine Ave. Littleton
80123
303-979-2333 pjfitzgerald@plattecanyon.org
Roxborough Water and Sanitation District 6222 N. Roxborough Park Rd. Littleton
80125
303-979-7286 Larry@RoxWater.org
Sheridan Sanitation District #1 4101 South Federal Blvd Sheridan 303-483-3259 rmourning@sheridangov.org
South Arapahoe Sanitation 143 Union Blvd. Suite 600 Lakewood
80228
303-985-3636 jodivilla@kennedyjenks.com
South Englewood Sanitation P.O. Box 2858 Littleton
80161
303-797-6200 dmarturano@comcst.net
Southgate Water & Sanitation 3722 E. Orchard Rd Centennial
80121
303-779-0261 cbaca@southgatedistricts.org
Southwest Metro Water & Sanitation 8739 W. Coal Mine Ave. Littleton
80123
303-979-2333 pjfitzgerald@plattecanyon.org
Valley Sanitation 8739 W. Coal Mine Ave. Littleton
80123
303-979-2333 pjfitzgerald@plattecanyon.org
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