BOULDER’S WATERWORKS

Several people contributed to the research and writing of Boulder’s Wastewater Past &
Present. At the top of the list is Bob Harberg (Principal Engineer––Utilities, City of Boulder),
who initiated the effort and saw it through to completion.
The document––by Silvia Pettem and Carol Ellinghouse––is a revision and update of A
History of the Waterworks of Boulder, Colorado, written in 1986 by Phyllis Smith. As co-authors,
Pettem and Ellinghouse worked together, with Pettem refining and filling in the
gaps in the earlier history, and Ellinghouse (retired Water Resources Coordinator) providing
much of the material on the more recent past.
Pettem also drew on the technical knowledge of individuals who made, and continue to
make, Boulder’s waterworks their life work. They included Jake Gesner (City of Boulder,
Hydroelectric Manager) who gave her a tour of the Boulder Canyon Hydro Plant, Steve
Folle (Betasso WTP Supervisor) who gave her a tour of the Betasso Water Treatment
Plant, and Mike Emarine (Boulder Reservoir WTP Supervisor) who gave her a tour of the
Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Plant. Each also answered Pettem’s numerous questions.
Thanks also go to Craig Skeie (Water Resources Facility Manager), who corresponded with
Pettem about Lakewood Reservoir and the Silver Lake Hydro Plant, and to Ned Williams
(retired Director of Public Works for Utilities), who reviewed the manuscript prior to the
publication of the first edition.
Donlyn Arbuthnot kindly supplied her photo of the headgate of the Left Hand Ditch, and
Alan Cass let us use a historical photo of Albion. Marti Anderson, Hope Arculin, and Wendy
Hall helped in supplying historical photographs from the Carnegie Branch Library for Local
History’s collections.
© City of Boulder, 2014 (Second printing 2015)
The cover image was taken from the Boulder Canyon Hydro Plant, with a view to the Betasso
Water Treatment Plant in the background. Pettem photo, 2013
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