Facility tours

Address: 2855 Mesa Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80904

Age requirement: Geared toward adults, but all ages welcome

Group size: Maximum 20

Tour length: 30 or 60 minutes

Days offered: Thursdays and Fridays from April 1 through September 30 when the Water Wise Demonstration Garden is in bloom.

Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Description: Learn about plants that thrive in our area and the best practices for sustainable landscapes and water efficiency.

Address: 2855 Mesa Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80904

Age requirement: Kindergarten - 8th grade

Group size: Maximum 50 attendees

Tour length: At your own pace - about 20 minutes per station. Visit up to 5 stations total.

Days offered: Monday through Sunday from April to October when the garden is in bloom.

Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Description: Discover the amazing things water wise plants are doing! Guide your group through self-guided activities in the demonstration garden. Learn about plants that thrive in our area and the best practices for sustainable landscapes and water efficiency. Participants can stop at up to five stations along the way for hands-on activities to learn more about our local water system, plant adaptations, pollinators and water conservation.

This program supports Colorado Department of Education Academic Science Standards and is ideal for classes studying plants, ecology and ecosystems. The activities also support Girl Scout Gardener and Flower journey requirements. Read the Leader Guide and Student Workbook before your visit.

Address: 6615 Generation Drive, Fountain, CO 80817

Age requirement: 5th grade or 10 years old & up

Group size: Maximum 20 attendees

Tour length: One to two hours, depending upon age group and specific needs

Day offered: Tuesday

Start times: Between 9 and 10 a.m. or 1 and 2 p.m.

*Note: Tours are unavailable from Sept. 13, 2024 to Nov. 22, 2024

Address: 6615 Generation Drive, Fountain, CO 80817

Age requirement: 5th grade or 10 years old & up

Group size: Maximum 20 attendees

Tour length:  One to two hours, depending upon age group and specific needs

Day offered: Tuesday

Start times: Between 9 and 10 a.m. or 1 and 2 p.m.

Address: 14391 Auge Way, Fountain, CO 80817

Age requirement: 5th grade or 10 years & up

Group size: Maximum 20 attendees

Tour length: 90 minutes

Description: This tour is not available until mid-2025. The tour provides an opportunity to observe the digestion process of all solids captured from our resource recovery facilities. Solids are pumped from these facilities, through an 18-mile, 14-inch fiberglass pipeline to Clear Spring Ranch Resource Recovery Facility. The process entails the use of up to 8 anaerobic digesters and facultative sludge basins to reduce organics and pathogenic bacteria before disposal via land injection.

Note: Tours are unavailable until mid-2025 due to a construction project.

Address: 4205 Mark Dabling Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Age requirement: 5th grade or 10 years old & up

Group size: Maximum 20 attendees

Tour length: 90 minutes

Days offered: Wednesday & Thursday

Start times: 9 a.m., 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Address: 809 East Las Vegas Street (Gate 3), Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Age requirement: 5th grade or 10 years old & up

Group size: Minimum of 5 people up to 20 maximum

Tour length: 90 minutes

Days offered: Wednesdays only

Additional information: Appropriate dress, which includes long pants (no dresses or skirts), closed-toed walking shoes, and clothing/accessories for expected weather, is mandatory for all tours. Due to safety concerns, visitors with inappropriate dress will not be able to tour the entire operational facility. We provide additional safety equipment, when required, to tour a facility (i.e. hard hats, safety glasses, ear protection).

Address: 977 Marksheffel Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80929

Age requirement: 5th grade or 10 years & up

Group size: Maximum 20 attendees

Tour length: 60 minutes

Day offered: Tuesday

Start time: between 9 and 10 a.m.

Description: Participants learn about the engineering behind the installation of our new water delivery system, the Southern Delivery System and observe state-of-the art water treatment processes. Water treatment processes discussed include traditional methods of coagulation/flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection, and additional new technologies of ozone and biofiltration used to provide the highest quality drinking water for the southeastern portion of Colorado Springs and surrounding communities.

Address: 13250 Ray Nixon Road, Fountain, CO 80817

Age requirement: 5th grade or 10 years & up

Group size: Maximum 20 attendees

Tour length: 60 minutes

Day offered: Tuesdays or Thursdays

Start time: Between 9 and 10 a.m.

Description: Participants observe how Colorado Springs Utilities cleans and treats water to produce high-quality safe drinking water that meets all federal and state drinking water quality standards. Learn about the water treatment processes including traditional methods of coagulation/flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection used to provide the highest quality drinking water for five different communities on the southern side of Colorado Springs.

Address: 2715 Mesa Road, Colorado Springs, 80904

Age requirement: 5th grade or 10 years & up

Group size: Maximum 20 attendees

Tour length: 60 minutes

Day offered: Monday- Thursday

Start time: Mornings between 9 - 10 a.m. and afternoons between 1-2 p.m.

Description: Tour our original water treatment plant that opened in 1942 and experience the newly upgraded treatment building completed in 2023. Participants observe how Colorado Springs Utilities cleans and treats water to produce high-quality safe drinking water that meets all federal and state drinking water quality standards. Processes discussed include coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection.

Address: 701 East Las Vegas St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Age requirement: 5th grade or 10 years old & up

Group size: Maximum 20 attendees

Tour length: 90 minutes

Days offered: Monday - Friday (Fridays preferred)

Description: Participants have the opportunity to tour our water quality laboratory and gain an understanding of what goes into monitoring and ensuring the delivery of exceptional drinking water, while maintaining compliance with State and Federal standards for water and wastewater treatment. The tour will introduce individuals to the analyses we conduct within our chemistry, organics and inorganics, metals, and microbiology labs, field and analytical instrumentation, the importance of quality control, and our key function in protecting the environment.

For larger groups or other special requests, please email us to inquire about any accommodations.