News

January 10, 2019

PRESS RELEASE: Denver City Council Approves Agreement to Improve Environmental Conditions, Provide Odor Control at National Western Center

DENVER – The Mayor’s Office of the National Western Center (NWC) today announced that Denver City Council, on January 7, 2019, approved an Intergovernmental Agreement with Metro Wastewater Reclamation District that will improve environmental conditions near the South Platte River while providing odor control to surrounding Globeville, Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods.

The new agreement will:

    1. Relocate and bury the Delgany Interceptor wastewater pipe, allowing for river activation and engagement
    2. Provide access to a wastewater heat recovery system that will capture and recycle heat for building use that will reduce NWC’s overall carbon footprint
    3. Mitigate odors from the Delgany Interceptor to surrounding neighborhoods through a new biofilter

“The National Western Center has set a long-term goal of becoming a net-zero energy campus, where annual energy consumption would be completely offset by renewable energy production,” Mayor Hancock said. “This agreement with the Metro District sets us on a trajectory to meeting that goal while providing added benefits like odor control and air pollution mitigation for our residents in the Globeville, Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods.”

Building this modern infrastructure on the NWC campus will provide regional benefits including carbon reductions that will help the city meet its 80×50 Climate Action Plan goals.  It will also help the Metro District reduce the temperature of water released back to the South Platte River, furthering ecological restoration.

“This IGA has been a model in how governmental entities working together can deliver smarter infrastructure for a better future,” Mickey Conway, District Manager for Metro Wastewater Reclamation District said. “For 50 plus years, the Metro District has worked hard to improve water quality in the river and recover resources from wastewater. To continue to do this cost effectively and efficiently in the future, we will have to be innovative and continue to create opportunities like this one at the National Western Center.”

“I’m thrilled to support this agreement that opens the river for residents and tourists,” Denver City Councilman Albus Brooks added.  “As a Denver City Councilman and part of the project governance, our team has worked hard to make this agreement a reality and I couldn’t be happier about the sustainable solution and its community benefit.”

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