Denver Water Department’s New Regulations For Hydrant Meter Permits

All Denver pressure washing companies – or landscaping, construction companies, or any other service that needs large volumes of water – must comply with new regulations requiring backflow pressure assemblies if they want to keep their fire hydrant permits with the Denver Water Department.

Bike shows size of new backflow pressure assembly on Denver Water hydrant meter

In the past, most companies used air gaps between their fill pipes and water tanks to comply with Denver Water Department regulations to prevent backflows into the hydrant water system. They could have the air gaps certified by independent testers to show compliance.

But new regulations no longer allow the air gap certifications.  A backflow pressure assembly is the only acceptable method of complying with Denver Water hydrant use policy.

Along with the increased cost of the backflow pressure assemblies, the cost of water and the hydrant permit itself has gone up. Smaller companies that don’t do many big jobs may find it impractical to maintain hydrant permits.

The way we see it, it’s just a cost of doing a high volume business. Our six trucks use a lot of water to do our daily washing. Most locations have their own water hookups but sometimes the only water source available is a fire hydrant. We have hydrant meters with many different water districts in the Denver metro area and we pride ourselves in being the industry leader in compliance with all water use and water recovery regulations.

backflow pressure assemblies and hydrants mounted on custom carts

backflow pressure assemblies and hydrants mounted on custom carts

Companies that don’t keep up with increasing regulations may find themselves unable to compete in the Colorado market.

With 27 years experience in Denver, we know how to deal with Colorado’s current drought and water restrictions. We specialize in EPA water recovery and include it with their pressure washing service at no extra charge.