The City of Brighton has completed a comprehensive Risk and Resilience Assessment of its water utility system— a key milestone in strengthening the reliability and security of our community’s water infrastructure. 

The City of Brighton hired a consultant, WSP USA Inc., to update the plan in accordance with the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA). This plan was last updated in 2020 and will continue to be updated on a five-year basis. The assessment examines a wide range of possible threats to the water utility, including natural disasters, extreme weather events, power outages, aging infrastructure, cybersecurity, financial and human resource risks. The program also examines the steps the City has already taken to become resilient in our operations, and what opportunities are available for improvement. 

As next steps, the department will update the Emergency Response Plan, and Continuity of Operations plans, to reflect the findings and outline specific actions to prevent, respond to, and recover from potential disruptions. Many of these strategies build on existing practices already in place, while others may inform future planning and capital improvements. 

Updating the plans will achieve goals and tasks identified in the City of Brighton Strategic Plan, Utilities Department Strategic Plan, and the Sustainability Plan. Residents will not experience any changes to their water service because of the assessment, but behind the scenes, the City of Brighton Utilities department will be ready to reduce risk, improve preparedness, and protect public health. 

For questions, please contact Water Quality Compliance Coordinator Sherry Scaggiari at sscaggiari@brightonco.gov or 303-655-2358.