From its mountainous source to the treated purity at your tap, Denver Water takes water quality very seriously. As a part of our extensive testing program, each year Denver Water collects more than 55,000 samples and conduct nearly 200,000 water quality tests to confirm that drinking water is safe and meets or goes above federal and state requirements for the Denver metro area.
Water quality teams travel to eight counties and collect samples from 77 watershed locations. Water samples from the collection area are tested by our lab to understand in and around our water supply. Samples that veer from typical readings could indicate unexpected pollution, echoes of old mining activity or, increasingly, the impacts of forest fires. Understanding these impacts helps prepare operators for potential impacts to reservoirs and so we can adjust our treatment process, if needed.
DENVER WATER LAB HOURS
Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Above are the hours for the Denver Water water quality lab. CSU Spur is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. the 2nd Saturday of every month.
A new environment
On the Spur campus, Denver Water is in the heart of a new research environment, in a spot where we can work closely with academics and innovators studying a wide spectrum of current and emerging water quality issues and solutions as we continue to deliver safe, reliable, great-tasting water to the Denver metro area today and in the future. Being part of the Spur campus also puts Denver Water in a space where we can better develop solutions to emerging water challenges for our customers and the state, while expanding on our robust youth education program to develop future water leaders.
This new location shifts the lab from an obscure setting, tucked away behind security gates near the Marston Treatment Plant in southwest Denver, to the CSU Spur complex, situated at a well-trafficked location at an innovative new campus in an historic area of Denver.
The new lab provides improved space for Denver Water’s continual water quality analysis to monitor water from the mountains to its treatment plants, through its distribution system and what comes out of the tap. The new location provides capacity for nearly three times as many tests, as well as more room for research and collaboration.
KAREN SCHLATTER
Director, Colorado Water Center
Karen Schlatter was appointed director of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University in 2025, after joining the Center as associate director in 2023. Schlatter brings academic, nonprofit, and public sector experience in managing complex water challenges with a deep commitment to building partnerships and the ability to engage in conversations across Colorado’s water community. She joined CSU from the University of Florida Water Institute where her work included facilitating multi-stakeholder/academic teams to achieve shared goals around water management through collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Prior to her role at UF, she served as associate director of the Colorado River Delta Program at the Sonoran Institute, where she focused on building cross-sector and international partnerships to support large-scale ecological restoration, effective binational water management, and community engagement in the Colorado River Delta region. Schlatter earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from McGill University and a Master of Science in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She served as an agricultural extension volunteer in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.
TOM VILSACK
Chief Executive Officer, World Food Prize Foundation
Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, will become the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack will focus on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.
In 1998, he became the first Democrat to be elected as the Governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. During his two terms as Governor, he created an $800 million, 10-year economic development incentive program—the Iowa Values Fund. His administration worked with schools, medical providers, businesses, faith-based organizations and other entities to expand healthcare coverage to more than 90,000 previously uninsured children.
He became the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025, respectively. Only five people in U.S. history have served in the Cabinet longer, and during his tenures, the United States Department of Agriculture set records for U.S. agricultural exports and provided food assistance to millions of Americans. He helped expand food and nutrition access through summer feeding programs for children and additional support for fruit and vegetable purchases through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. As Secretary, he worked to develop new and superior markets for small and mid-sized farms, allowing those operations to remain viable and in turn, strengthening and growing rural communities.
Governor Vilsack has long been connected to the World Food Prize Foundation, having served on both the Council of Advisors and the Board of Directors. His insights and acumen were vital in shaping our mission and initiatives. His leadership and experience will be instrumental in expanding the Foundation’s international reach and continuing the mission of elevating innovations and inspiring action to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability of food for all.
Celebrate the Fourth of July at Spur!
CSU Spur is hosting its first Fourth of July party! Join us at 5:30 p.m. on July 4 for a live DJ, local barbecue, activities for kids, and a view of celebrations across the city from the Terra rooftop.
Tickets are $5.
We’ll see you Saturday!
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (July 11), and this month, the theme is Wonderful World of Water. Explore hands-on activities focused on watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, water conservation, and the journey water takes from mountain snowpack to our homes, as well as agua frescas, the Westernaires, a river clean-up, the Market at the Center, and more!