FAQs

It is Aurora Water’s program to replace aging equipment and improve water treatment at the Wemlinger Water Purification Facility. These updates help us handle seasonal changes in quality and expand the plant to process supplies from three new sources: Aurora Reservoir, Quincy Reservoir, and the Cherry Creek Wells. Making these upgrades will help us continue to provide high-quality drinking water for the community.

These upgrades are required to keep our water treatment operations running smoothly and to bring the facility in line with modern safety and regulatory standards. Taking these steps handles our City's long-term water needs and allows us to better ensure safe, reliable service now and in the future.

We are working with Garney Construction, a national leader in water infrastructure and a major contributor to Colorado water projects since 1978. By utilizing a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) delivery method, we brought their team on board early during the planning phase. This close collaboration allows us to look at the project details together, optimize the construction schedule, and do our best to minimize disruptions to the neighborhood.

Living near a construction site is never easy, and you will notice some temporary impacts like daytime noise, heavy equipment activity, and periodic traffic shifts around the facilities. We want to keep surprises to a minimum, so we will do our best to share regular project updates ahead of time.

No. The upgrades do not introduce new odor‑producing processes.

Our standard work hours are Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. To protect your mornings, we will not warm up heavy equipment before our designated start times, and to be considerate of residents, work on the east side of the properties will start slightly later at 7:30 a.m.

While we plan to stick to this schedule, there are a few exceptions to keep in mind:

• Saturdays: Work may occasionally happen as needed from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Holidays: Crews may perform light work on designated City holidays or furlough days.
• Critical Work: Major tasks, like utility tie-ins, may sometimes require work outside typical hours.
• Inclement Weather: There is generally no construction activity on snow days, in heavy rain, or during other inclement weather conditions.

No, our standard work hours will stay the same. As the days get shorter, crews will use temporary lights so they can safely finish their shifts. To protect your evenings and keep the glare at bay, these lights will face west and point completely away from the homes located to the east of the facilities.

During work hours, you can expect typical construction noise, including backup alarms on construction equipment. These alarms are required by federal OSHA safety regulations to help keep workers safe and must remain operational at all times. We understand construction can be disruptive, and we will do our best to minimize inconvenience. Thank you for your patience as we complete these improvements.

No, you shouldn’t have to worry about that. We have identified two staging areas west of the Quincy Reservoir entrance. This should give us plenty of space to manage materials and completely avoid creating another large stockpile.

Space has been allocated at Wemlinger for construction crews to park personal vehicles on-site. We want to keep worker vehicles off local streets to help minimize extra traffic and ensure parking is reserved for residents.

No disruptions to utilities are planned. Although we make every effort to locate existing utilities in advance, there is always a small risk of accidentally hitting a power or gas line during heavy construction. Should there be an unplanned disruption, we will coordinate immediately with local providers to handle repairs safely and efficiently.

No street closures are planned for this project. However, you might experience brief traffic slowdowns when we install the temporary traffic light, or if other water projects occur along Quincy Avenue during this time. We will share updates as soon as possible.

During construction, nearby residents can expect temporary daytime noise, construction equipment, dust, and occasional traffic delays. Dust control measures, such as watering exposed soil and covering materials when needed, will be used to help reduce dust. Every effort will be made to minimize disruptions to adjacent neighborhoods.

Upgrading our infrastructure involves moving very heavy structural pieces that standard construction equipment cannot handle. We're using cranes because they are the most effective and practical tool to safely lift and place these large components exactly where they need to go.

We take site safety very seriously. All crane activity follows rigorous safety protocols and industry regulations. Lifts are strictly handled by certified operators, and we monitor weather and ground conditions daily to ensure a controlled and stable work environment.

Large deliveries may temporarily slow down local traffic, but we will do our best to provide advance warning whenever possible. We are also hoping the new temporary traffic light at Wemlinger's east entrance and expanded west entrance will help keep westbound vehicles moving smoothly during these times.

While Kentucky Bluegrass looks great, it simply requires too much water for our dry climate. Transitioning the site to native Aurora prairie grass brings us in line with current City code requirements and supports local water conservation goals. Making the switch allows us to protect our natural resources so we can better ensure safe, reliable water service now and in the future.

Prairie grass refers to the resilient, native grasses that naturally grow in our region. Unlike traditional turf, these native plants have deep roots that help them handle extreme weather and drought. Transitioning to prairie grass will allow us to create a more sustainable landscape that saves water, cuts down on maintenance, and supports local wildlife.

While some trees must be removed for construction, we want to make sure the final restoration fits the neighborhood. In the past, we've had mixed feedback about the trees at Wemlinger, so we want you to help decide the next steps. Should we replant new trees or restore the site without them? Please take the Survey on this site to cast your vote and let us know your preference!

We have selected two potential options: an 8-foot chain-link fence with a security topper to match the existing fencing on-site, or an 8-foot black Omega fence with a security topper, which looks similar to the wrought iron fence at the front of the Wemlinger facility. We want your input on these proposed materials and styles! Please take the Survey on this site and vote for your preference.

Security fencing helps protect our vital infrastructure and the essential services they provide to our community. These improvements will bring our facilities in line with current Federal safety and security standards and support continued reliable water service.

All chemicals used in treatment processes are regulated and handled under strict safety standards.

The Cherry Creek Wells are a series of 10 alluvial wells that supplement Aurora’s surface water supplies. The wells can provide up to 9 million gallons of water per day to Wemlinger Water Purification Facility (WPF).

Wemlinger was built in 1980, and while it consistently wins top water-quality awards, the mechanical and electrical assets are reaching the end of their service life. These improvements are designed to prevent unplanned system failures and protect the water supply for years to come.

To minimize impacts to the school during peak hours, we have taken advance measures to keep traffic moving without severe disruption. We have expanded the west entrance to the Wemlinger Water Treatment Plant and are installing a temporary traffic light at the east entrance. We anticipate this temporary light, together with the existing signal at Summit Elementary, will help trucks enter and exit safely while keeping school traffic flowing.

No. The main parking lot will stay open to the public through October 31 while the reservoir is in season. However, the lot will close from November 1 through March 1, which is when the park shuts down for the winter.

Parts of the reservoir trail may close at times, but detours will be provided. Please respect the closures and never remove or bypass construction fencing. Moving these barriers puts you, other visitors, and workers in danger. Please follow posted signs to keep everyone safe.

No. You can still head out on the water just like always. All the construction is happening east of the reservoir at our existing drying beds, so we shouldn’t get in the way of fishing or any other activities. Everything at the reservoir will remain open during seasonal hours.

Chemicals are used at the Wemlinger WPF to enhance particle, organics, and metals removal; disinfection; improve taste, and pH/alkalinity adjustment for corrosion control.

Pre-treatment is used upstream of filtration to remove particles and natural organic matter from the source water. Through controlled mixing, particles collide and aggregate into larger flocs that can be removed by gravity settling. The new facility enhances treatment resiliency by enabling the plant to treat additional source water supplies.

Both the sediment drying beds and backwash recovery basins are used to store the particulates removed from the source water prior to transfer off site. The sediment drying beds only accept flows from the new pre-treatment facility and will be shallower than the backwash recovery basins.

The new pump station pumps water to multiple zones of the distribution system and includes surge control systems to limit high transient pressures that can lead to water line breaks. The pump station replaces aging infrastructure and is more energy efficient than existing facilities.

The new stormwater facilities consist of a water quality garden, storm water quality filtration system, and an extended detention basin. The areas ensure that water leaving the site meets the requirements of the Clean Water Act for pollutants in the water and protects downstream properties from increased stormwater runoff.

Yes. Aurora Water is working closely with the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department to make sure every part of this project follows Master Plan guidelines. We are collaborating at every stage to protect the reservoir's natural environment while completing these necessary infrastructure updates.