About Us

Background

The Upper Thompson Sanitation District was formed in 1971 to provide water treatment services to the areas surrounding the Town of Estes Park and to improve the water quality of the Big Thompson River.

The plant and collection lines were built with Federal, State, and local funding at a cost of approximately $5.5M. The plant was brought online in 1976, providing service to areas of the Estes Valley which were previously without adequate water treatment. Since that time, we have effectively managed the water treatment, through three major floods and a fire evacuation.

What We Do

The UTSD Team

The District is staffed with 17 permanent employees: five administrative personnel, five in the collection department, and seven operators at the treatment plant. A State of Colorado Wastewater Certification is required for all collection and plant personnel.

The District policies and operations are overseen by a Board of Directors elected by the voters within the District.

The Upper Thompson Sanitation District treatment facility is a tertiary (or three-stage), advanced treatment process. When the plant was constructed, it contained several innovative technologies, making it one of the most advanced treatment facilities at the time.

This facility was built to treat a flow of 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD), and a peak hydraulic flow of 3.75 MGD. Over 99% of the solids and pollutants in the wastewater are removed. In the fall of 2000, a new secondary clarifier was constructed, adding operational flexibility and increased plant capacity to 2.0 MGD.

Protecting

Our most precious resource.

From maintenance of the wastewater collection system infrastructure to test treatment facility effluent, fieldwork is essential to the protection of our sensitive waterways.

Testing

And reclaiming the water of the Estes Valley.

This is home. We Treat it right. From testing to treatment, one of the primary functions of USTD is the monitoring of harmful constituents in the wastewater.

The systems of the treatment facility.

Comprehensive oversight of treatment processes and systems. Operating the diverse states of collection, treatment, and disinfection requires daily maintenance of the complex facilities.

Managing

Customer Service

Providing oversight and strategic planning of the district's assets.

Serving over 4300 households and overseeing 96 miles of collection systems infrastructure. Providing reliable, high-quality, cost-effective wastewater collection and treatment services.