Highlands Ranch Water has released its 2026 proposed budget. The proposed budget includes rate increases to cover rising operational costs, and key capital projects including an upgrade to the district’s Joseph B. Blake Water Treatment Plant.

Upgrades to the water treatment plant will increase production capacity, improve redundancy, replace aging infrastructure and allow Highlands Ranch Water to meet new water quality regulations.

The proposed budget includes water and wastewater rate increases that will go into effect the first full billing cycle after Jan. 1, 2026. If adopted, the rate changes would increase bills 7.5% along with a $2.25 monthly increase to the fixed Infrastructure Improvement Fee. This equates to an average of $10 per month for single-family customers. The district expects to invest $180 million over the next five years in critical projects to ensure the water system serving Highlands Ranch and Solstice stay as reliable and resilient as ever.

“We’re making significant investments in our infrastructure to ensure our water system can handle the unexpected without interruptions, because our customers and our community depend on us every day,” said General Manager Sam Calkins.

“We’re building reliability into every drop of water while adapting to new state and federal regulations, and reducing our reliance on groundwater,” Calkins added.

Highlands Ranch Water’s proposed budget will be available for review on the district’s website beginning Oct. 20 at highlandsranchwater.org. A hard copy of the document is also available at the district’s main office located at 62 Plaza Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129.

Budget Process

Rates and fees are reviewed during the budget process and a public hearing on the budget and rates is held at the November board meeting.

This year’s public hearing will be held on Monday, Nov. 24 at 6pm at the Hendricks Office Building, 62 Plaza Drive in Highlands Ranch. During the meeting, staff will present the proposed budget to the Highlands Ranch Water Board of Directors. The public can provide feedback at the public hearing during the specified public comment period. The Board of Directors will take their comments into consideration before adopting the budget in December.

How to Provide Feedback

In addition to providing feedback at the public hearing on Nov. 24, Highlands Ranch Water customers and stakeholders can review the proposed budget and submit feedback any time prior to the final adoption in December. Feedback can be sent via email to contactus@hrwater.org or mailed to Highlands Ranch Water, Attn: Director of Finance & Administration, 62 Plaza Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129.

Timeline