Northern Water

What Northern Water does

Northern Water (legally the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District) is a quasi-municipal water conservancy district established in 1937 under Colorado law, headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado. The organization collects water west of the Continental Divide and delivers supplemental supply to Northeastern Colorado through three flagship projects — the Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT), Windy Gap, and the Southern Water Supply Project (a 110-mile pipeline) — supplemented by the recently completed Chimney Hollow Reservoir (December 2025, approximately $750 million, supplying 30,000 acre-feet to 12 providers) and the planned Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP, 40,000 acre-feet). Its infrastructure footprint includes the Alva B. Adams Tunnel, multiple pump plants, Carter Lake (with a $12 million multi-level outlet enabling year-round delivery), reservoirs, and canal systems co-managed with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Northern Water serves more than 1.1 million residents and 615,000 acres of irrigated farmland across 15+ municipalities (Broomfield, Fort Morgan, Longmont, Boulder, Berthoud, Erie, Louisville, Superior, Hudson, Left Hand Water District, and others) plus agricultural irrigators and industrial users. Revenue is generated through recurring water assessments, proportional project participant fees, and grants for environmental programs; pricing is set by Board-approved assessments and Allotment Contracts and is not publicly disclosed. Adjacent offerings include the Conservation Gardens and a new fire-smart landscape demonstration, data services (snowpack, streamflow, water quality, geospatial), and environmental programs such as the Kawuneeche Valley Restoration Collaborative and the award-winning Colorado River Connectivity Channel.

Name

Northern Water

Legal name

Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District

Website

https://northernwater.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Northern Water (Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District) is a quasi-municipal water conservancy district founded in 1937 that collects and delivers supplemental water from Colorado's West Slope to 1.1 million residents, 615,000 acres of irrigated farmland, and 15+ municipalities in Northeastern Colorado through the C-BT, Windy Gap, Chimney Hollow, and Southern Water Supply infrastructure projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Utilities (22)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agricultural Irrigation Water Conveyance Pipelines (Long-Distance) (TLAGAHAD), Storage & Conveyance Structures (Reservoirs, Tanks, Culverts, Tunnels) (IMAFAGAE), Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB), Water Source Development & Intake Systems (Wells, Boreholes, Intakes) (AFAAACAI)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Water infrastructure management
• Municipal water supply
• Agricultural irrigation water
• Water conservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berthoud

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Water Assessment and Rates: Northern Water charges assessments to water providers and allottees based on water allocation and usage. The organization conducts water rate studies and charges fees for water delivery, storage, and contractual water rights.
2. Project Participant Fees: Communities and municipalities pay proportional costs for operations, maintenance, and replacement of shared water infrastructure projects such as Southern Water Supply Project and Windy Gap Project.
3. Grant Funding: Northern Water receives grant funding for environmental programs including conservation, restoration, and watershed protection projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Northern Water operates large-scale water collection, storage, and delivery infrastructure in Colorado, transferring supplemental water from the West Slope of the Continental Divide to Northeastern Colorado. The organization manages the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, Windy Gap Project, Southern Water Supply Pipeline, Chimney Hollow Reservoir, and the planned Northern Integrated Supply Project, delivering water under contractual arrangements to 15+ municipalities and water providers serving 1.1 million residents and 615,000 acres of irrigated farmland.

Product overview

Northern Water operates as a water conservancy district providing comprehensive water management services through multiple integrated projects and data services. The core offerings include the Colorado-Big Thompson Project and Windy Gap Project for water collection and delivery, supplemented by the Chimney Hollow Reservoir Project and Northern Integrated Supply Project for additional water storage capacity. The Southern Water Supply Project provides 110-mile pipeline infrastructure for regional water distribution. Educational offerings include Conservation Gardens and Interpretive Area demonstrating water-efficient landscaping. Data services encompass snowpack monitoring, streamflow data, water quality monitoring, and geospatial mapping tools. The portfolio is primarily infrastructure-focused rather than software-based, serving municipalities, agricultural users, and industrial customers across Northeastern Colorado.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Municipal Subdistrict: A subdistrict of Northern Water formed in 1970 by six municipalities to build and operate the Windy Gap Project.
• Southern Water Supply Project Water Activity Enterprise
• Kawuneeche Valley Restoration Collaborative (KVRC)

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 1.1 million residents and 615,000 acres of irrigated farmland
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Six Original Municipal Subdistrict MemberscoreOthers · 1 January 1970Founding municipalities that formed the Municipal Subdistrict to develop the Windy Gap Project, representing initial collaboration for regional water security.
• U.S. Bureau of ReclamationcoreOthersFederal partner for C-BT Project operations. Bureau of Reclamation co-manages reservoir infrastructure including Shadow Mountain Reservoir repairs and Carter Lake outlet projects. Emergency contact available 24/7 for dam operations coordination.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreOthersCollaborates on West Slope operations including reservoir releases from Granby Dam and trail access management during dam construction. Partners on environmental programs.
• Rocky Mountain National ParkcoreOthersColorado River Connectivity Channel restores natural river flow through the park. Collaborates on Kawuneeche Valley Restoration and water quality protection in Grand Lake clarity programs.
• Kawuneeche Valley Restoration Collaborative (KVRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthern Water-supported collaborative working to restore parts of the valley where Colorado River headwaters flow through Rocky Mountain National Park into Shadow Mountain Reservoir. Received National Parks Foundation grant in 2026.
• AECOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering project team for Colorado River Connectivity Channel that won ACEC Colorado awards. AECOM project team recognized for outstanding collaboration and innovative engineering.
• Norris DesignsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture firm partnered with Northern Water to develop sustainable landscape templates after the 2020 Marshall Fire, which serve as basis for fire-smart demonstration gardens.
• Northern Water Municipal SubdistrictcoreOthersFormed in 1970 by six municipalities to build and operate the Windy Gap Project. An enterprise of Northern Water governing water projects for Front Range communities.
• Colorado-Big Thompson Project ParticipantscoreOthersMultiple water providers and allottees holding contractual rights to C-BT water, contributing proportionally to operations, maintenance, and replacement costs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Denver Water: Denver Water is Colorado's largest municipal water utility, collecting and treating water from the South Platte and Colorado River basins and serving ~1.5 million people in the Denver metro. It is directly comparable to Northern Water's role as a regional raw-water and treated-water supplier in Northeastern Colorado, sharing the same climate exposure, Front Range demand backdrop, and multi-decade infrastructure model.
• Aurora Water: Aurora Water operates the municipal water system for the City of Aurora, including prairie raw-water supplies (spinney basin, South Platte) and major treatment facilities, and is one of the largest water utilities on the Front Range. Like Northern Water, it owns and operates raw water collection, storage, and delivery infrastructure serving a large suburban customer base in Northeastern Colorado.
• Colorado Springs Utilities (Water Division): Colorado Springs Utilities is a multi-utility municipal provider whose water division collects, treats, and delivers water (including trans-basin sources) to the Pikes Peak region. It is comparable to Northern Water in operating a raw-water and treated-water portfolio with substantial storage and transmission assets under a public/quasi-public ownership structure.
• Pueblo Water: Pueblo Water is a Colorado municipal water utility providing potable water to the City of Pueblo and surrounding areas from the Arkansas River basin. It is comparable as a regional Colorado water supplier with both raw water sources and treatment/distribution assets, sharing Northern Water's exposure to Western water-rights and Colorado River basin dynamics.
• Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District: Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District is a Colorado conservancy district that operates and maintains the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project (a Bureau of Reclamation trans-basin diversion). It is a structural peer to Northern Water: both are Colorado conservancy districts administering federal trans-basin water projects, selling firm water to municipalities, and operating reservoir and conveyance infrastructure across multiple counties.

Regional players

• Rio Grande Water Conservation District: Rio Grande Water Conservation District is a Colorado-based special district focused on groundwater management, surface water administration, and water-use efficiency in the Rio Grande basin. It is comparable to Northern Water as a Colorado water district delivering basin-wide water management services, though its geographic focus (San Luis Valley vs. Northern Front Range) makes it a regional rather than direct peer.

Broad incumbents

• American Water Works Company: American Water Works Company is the largest investor-owned water and wastewater utility in the United States, serving ~14 million people across 14 states. It is a broad incumbent peer in regulated water utility services, with comparable rate-based infrastructure and customer-supply economics to Northern Water, but operates across many states and geographies.
• Essential Utilities, Inc. Essential Utilities (formerly Aqua America) is a multi-state regulated water and natural gas utility serving ~5 million people across 10+ states, including significant operations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, and North Carolina. It is broadly comparable to Northern Water as a regulated water utility with substantial treatment, transmission, and storage infrastructure, though it spans many states and mixes water and gas.

Others

• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is Northern Water's federal partner for the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, co-managing Adams Tunnel, Shadow Mountain, and Granby Dam operations. It is included as an ecosystem peer rather than competitor, but its policy posture on Colorado River allocations directly drives Northern Water's firm yield and revenue.
• AECOM: AECOM is a global engineering and infrastructure firm that has delivered major reservoir and pipeline design work for Northern Water, including the ACEC Colorado award-winning Colorado River Connectivity Channel. It is an enabling peer as a key engineering contractor rather than a direct utility competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/northern_water
• Facebookfacebook.com/northernwater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northern-water

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Northern Water