Metro Water Recovery

What Metro Water Recovery does

Metro Water Recovery is a Colorado special district formed by the state legislature in 1961 (originally the Metropolitan Denver Sewage Disposal District No. 1) and the largest wholesale wastewater treatment provider in the Rocky Mountain West. It serves approximately 2.2 million people across an 817-square-mile service area spanning Denver and parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Douglas, and Weld counties through contractual relationships with 65 local government connectors — member municipalities with voting board representation plus special connector sanitation districts. The organization operates three core facilities: the Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility in Denver (220 MGD design capacity, operational since 1966), the Northern Treatment Plant in Brighton (28.8 MGD design capacity, augmented by the 17-mile Second Creek Pipeline commissioned in 2024), and the 52,000-acre METROGRO Farm in Deer Trail for biosolids land application.

Its core technology stack centers on a multi-stage wastewater treatment process (preliminary screening, primary clarification, secondary activated sludge, tertiary treatment, and disinfection via peracetic acid at RWHTF and UV at NTP), supplemented by two-phase anaerobic digestion with biogas recovery, MagPrex struvite recovery (>90% phosphorus reduction, ~25% polymer reduction), biological phosphorus removal (implemented at RWHTF in January 2021), and a recently initiated NTP digital-twin process modeling and automation program. Resource recovery extends into renewable electricity (offsetting 40% of RWHTF electricity), renewable natural gas pipeline injection, METROGRO biosolids fertilizer (85 dry tons/day, distributed to over 300 permitted private farms), and a thermal energy recovery initiative. Capital programs in flight include a $72.6M electrical substation, $50.7M RNG/cogeneration system, $206M North Secondary upgrades, and a $579M planned tertiary treatment system.

Metro's business model is a regulated wholesale utility: 75% of revenue comes from the Annual Charge program, which bills 65 connectors annually based on flow volumes and pollutant loadings (TSS, BOD, TKN) under customer categories A-E. Remaining revenue is generated through METROGRO biosolids product sales (transaction fees), renewable natural gas pipeline sales (managed services), and on-site renewable electricity generation that offsets purchased power. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; individual rates are negotiated in connector agreements. The organization holds no venture or private-equity ownership — it is governed by a Board of Directors elected from member municipalities and is regulated by the EPA (NPDES permits, Industrial Pretreatment Program oversight) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Approximately 500 employees operate the system across three sites.

Name

Metro Water Recovery

Legal name

Metro Water Recovery

Website

https://metrowaterrecovery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Metro Water Recovery is a Colorado special district and the largest wholesale wastewater treatment provider in the Rocky Mountain West, treating approximately 140 million gallons daily to serve 2.2 million people across 65 local government connectors spanning the Denver metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wastewater Treatment Services

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Sanitary Services (4950), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) (EUANADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Reclamation & Reuse Production (Tertiary/Advanced Treatment) (EUANADAD), Nutrient Recovery from Sludge (Struvite, Ammonia/Phosphorus Recovery) (EUANAHAD), Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA)

Keywords

• Wastewater treatment services
• Water reclamation utility
• Biosolids management
• Industrial pretreatment programs
• Renewable natural gas

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Annual Charge Program (Wholesale Treatment Services): Metro bills its connectors based on how much flow they send to the two plants and the contents of the flow (loadings). Annual charges are assessed to all connectors to cover operating costs, debt service, and capital needs. This is the primary revenue stream representing 75% of total revenue.
2. METROGRO Biosolids Product Sales: Sale of METROGRO Cake, a Class B biosolid fertilizer product. Biosolids are packaged and sold as high-yield fertilizer from the 52,000-acre METROGRO Farm and distributed to over 300 permitted private farm sites. Approximately 85 dry tons of biosolids per day are beneficially reused.
3. Renewable Natural Gas Production: Biogas conditioning system to produce renewable natural gas for pipeline injection (PAR 1395 - $50.7M investment), providing renewable fuel for transportation and consumer heating. Cogeneration equipment replacement transforming biogas to pipeline-quality RNG.
4. Renewable Electricity Generation: Electricity generated from renewable methane combustion at both NTP and RWHTF. Production offsets 40% of electricity purchases at the RWHTF. Heat recovered during combustion supports process needs and building heating.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Metro Water Recovery is a wholesale wastewater treatment utility that provides transmission and treatment services to 65 local government connectors (member municipalities and sanitation districts) across an 817-square-mile service area covering Denver and surrounding counties, serving over 2 million people. The organization operates three facilities — the Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility (220 MGD design capacity), Northern Treatment Plant (28.8 MGD design capacity), and METROGRO Farm (52,000 acres) — that together perform multi-stage wastewater treatment (preliminary, primary, secondary biological, tertiary, disinfection) along with resource recovery including biosolids-to-fertilizer (METROGRO Cake), biogas-to-renewable natural gas, and renewable electricity generation.

Product overview

Metro Water Recovery is a wholesale wastewater treatment utility providing a unified service portfolio centered on wastewater transmission, treatment, and resource recovery. The core offering is wastewater treatment services delivered through three facilities (Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility, Northern Treatment Plant, and METROGRO Farm) serving over 2 million people across an 817-square-mile area. Supporting services include the METROGRO® Biosolids fertilizer product, Industrial Pretreatment Program, Dental Amalgam Control Program, Hauled Waste Program, Thermal Energy Recovery innovations, Utility Locate Services, and Educational Programs. The organization functions as a special district rather than a software company and does not offer a platform-plus-modules software architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• METROGRO: Biosolids product line - Metro packages biosolids into a high-yield fertilizer called METROGRO Cake.

Products and services

• Wastewater Treatment Services Wholesale wastewater transmission and treatment services provided to 65 local government connectors (member municipalities and sanitation districts) across an 817-square-mile service area, covering Denver and parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Douglas, and Weld counties. Services encompass preliminary treatment, primary clarification, secondary biological treatment (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus removal), tertiary treatment, disinfection, and biosolids handling.
• METROGRO Biosolids (Class B Fertilizer) Biosolids produced from wastewater treatment are packaged into a high-yield Class B fertilizer product called METROGRO Cake. Approximately 85 dry tons per day of biosolids are beneficially reused on Metro's 52,000-acre METROGRO Farm and over 300 permitted private farm sites for agricultural land application.
• Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP) EPA-approved regulatory program that ensures high quality service, protection from harmful chemicals, and compliance with environmental regulations by regulating industrial and commercial discharges to Metro's facilities. The program establishes pretreatment standards, permitting requirements, and compliance monitoring for commercial and industrial discharger customers in the Denver metropolitan service area.
• Dental Amalgam Control Program A regulatory program that works alongside dental offices to reduce amalgam waste discharged to Metro's wastewater treatment facilities, ensuring compliance with EPA dental amalgam rule requirements and protecting treatment processes and receiving waters from mercury contamination.
• Hauled Waste Program Permitting program allowing individuals or companies with special permits to discharge treatable wastes, including septage from port-a-potties and septic tanks and grease from restaurants, to the Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility. Includes application process and required monthly reporting.
• Thermal Energy Recovery Program Innovation program that extracts heat from wastewater pipelines to power homes, businesses, and communities, utilizing the thermal energy contained in wastewater for sustainable heating (extracting heat during cold periods to reduce natural gas demand) and cooling (sinking heat during warm periods to offset HVAC electricity demand). Under development through Regional Water Reuse Feasibility Study with Denver Water and Aurora Water.
• Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Production
• Renewable Electricity Generation Electricity generated from renewable methane combustion at both Northern Treatment Plant and Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility. Production offsets 40% of electricity purchases at RWHTF. Heat recovered during combustion supports process needs and building heating.
• Utility Locate Services Services to help locate underground utility lines, providing information about the utility locate process and access to the 811 system for safe excavation in the Metro service area.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 consecutive years of 100% permit compliance at RWHTF (2023 Platinum Peak Performance Award)
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Denver WatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborative partnership for Regional Water Reuse Feasibility Study. Working with Aurora Water to identify and evaluate potential future regional water reuse solutions. Study addresses water resource planning, water supply capacity projections, water quality considerations, reuse treatment scheme alternatives and associated infrastructure requirements.
• Aurora WatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborative partnership for Regional Water Reuse Feasibility Study. Three-party collaboration with Denver Water to develop intergovernmental agreements and evaluate regional water reuse alternatives for long-term water security.
• Xcel EnergycoreOthersElectricity provider and natural gas pipeline partner. Metro is one of the largest single electricity users on Xcel's grid. Partnership for $50.7M renewable natural gas project to produce pipeline-quality RNG for injection into Xcel's pipeline. New electrical substation to improve power reliability.
• 65 Local Governments (Municipalities and Sanitation Districts)coreOthersWholesale service partnerships with 65 local governments including cities, sanitation districts, and water and sanitation districts. Member municipalities have voting representation on Board of Directors. Special connectors have direct contracts. Annual Charge program bills connectors based on flow and loadings.
• Denver Regional Council of GovernmentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanning partnership dating to 1982 when DRCOG identified the need for clean water facilities in the northern metropolitan region. This long-term planning led to the Second Creek Pipeline project.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreOthersFederal regulatory oversight of Metro's Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP approved August 1986). EPA reviews annual IPP reports and conducts on-site audits. NPDES permit oversight. Partner in South Platte River habitat improvement Memorandum of Understanding.
• Colorado Department of Public Health and EnvironmentcoreOthersState regulatory partner for discharge permits, water quality standards, and Colorado Discharge Permit System. Partner in 1997 Memorandum of Understanding for South Platte River habitat improvements alongside EPA and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
• Colorado Parks and WildlifeminorOthersPartner in 1997 Memorandum of Understanding for South Platte River habitat improvements. Collaborative work on instream habitat improvements for native fish species over 20-year six-phase project.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Denver Water: Potable water supplier serving the City and County of Denver and surrounding suburbs. Direct regional counterpart on the drinking-water side and current co-development partner on the Regional Water Reuse Feasibility Study, making it the most operationally and geographically comparable entity to Metro.
• Aurora Water: Water and wastewater utility for the City of Aurora, Colorado, one of Metro's largest connectors. Direct regional peer and current joint-venture partner on the Regional Water Reuse Feasibility Study; smaller in absolute scale but operationally aligned with Metro.

Direct peers

• DC Water: Large combined wastewater and drinking water utility serving the District of Columbia and surrounding jurisdictions. Comparable in scale, mission, NPDES permit complexity, resource-recovery (incl. biogas/heat recovery), and authority/board governance model to Metro.
• Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago: Independent special district providing wholesale wastewater treatment and stormwater management to Chicago-area municipalities. Closest governance and operating analog to Metro, with similarly large interceptor system, treatment capacity, and nutrient/resource recovery programs.
• Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District: Regional wastewater utility serving greater Cleveland across multiple municipalities under a similar wholesale service-area model. Comparable in governance structure, connector-customer base, large-scale interceptor operations, and ongoing combined sewer overflow / capital program profile.
• Hampton Roads Sanitation District: Regional wastewater utility serving 20 cities and counties in southeastern Virginia with ~500,000 customers. Comparable wholesale service-area governance, multi-plant operations, biosolids management, and significant nutrient-discharge compliance obligations.
• Clean Water Services: Special district providing wastewater, stormwater, and water resource recovery services to more than 600,000 customers in Washington County, Oregon. Closest comparable in size class, special-district governance, and aggressive resource-recovery (Tualatin River) and water reuse programs.

Broad incumbents

• LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN): City of Los Angeles department operating Hyperion and four other wastewater treatment plants, plus biosolids and water reuse programs. Comparable in plant scale, biosolids reuse, and advanced treatment profile, though embedded within a city government rather than a standalone special district.
• King County Wastewater Treatment Division: Division of King County, WA operating large regional WWTPs serving Seattle metro. Similar treatment scale, NPDES-driven operations, and resource recovery programs (biogas, biosolids, water reuse), though operated within a county government rather than as a stand-alone special district.
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission: Municipal agency operating San Francisco's combined wastewater, water, and power utilities. Comparable in NPDES compliance scale, biosolids reuse, and integrated water-energy approach, though more diversified across water/power.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MetroWastewater
• Facebookfacebook.com/MetroWaterRecovery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metro-water-recovery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metro Water Recovery