Town of Carbondale - Micro Hydro Plant

Surveying, Water resources

Town of Carbondale – Micro Hydro Plant

Sustainable On-Site Power Derived from Gravity-Fed Water Flow

The Nettle Creek water treatment facility sits on the mountainside above Carbondale, collecting water and distributing it roughly eight miles down into town. The facility draws from one of the town’s oldest and most senior water rights, dating to 1902. This project installed a micro-hydro plant at the facility to capture the energy potential of water descending from high elevation and convert it into electricity to power the treatment plant on-site.

Challenges & highlights

Because of how water rights work in Colorado, the town needs to demonstrate continuous beneficial use of its full water right or risk losing it. As part of this project, the team expanded the collection system at the diversion point to capture as much water as the right allows. The system gives operators the ability to divert the full right consistently, which is what matters legally, while managing actual use based on treatment demand.

The hydro unit itself takes advantage of the significant elevation drop between the diversion point and the treatment facility. Water passes through the unit, spins a motor, and generates approximately 45 kilowatts per day. That output covers the basic electrical load of the treatment plant, offsetting one of the town’s highest per-facility energy costs.

The results

The project adds a source of renewable energy to the town’s infrastructure and helps Carbondale work toward its net-zero energy goals. The on-site generation eliminates the electrical costs of running the Nettle Creek facility under normal operating conditions. The collection system expansion also strengthens the town’s legal standing on a water right that has served the community for over a century, protecting a resource that supports Carbondale’s long-term water supply.

Elevation: 6,181 ft

Location: Carbondale, CO

Expanded the water collection system at the Nettle Creek diversion to capture the full legal water right, protecting a senior right dating to 1902
Designed and installed a micro-hydro generation unit that converts the elevation drop between the mountain diversion and the treatment facility into approximately 45 kilowatts of on-site electricity per day
Offset the full electrical load of the Nettle Creek treatment facility under normal operating conditions, supporting the Town’s net-zero energy goals
Designed the diversion and collection system to demonstrate continuous beneficial use of the water right, protecting the Town’s legal standing

Infrastructure that lasts

Whether you’re planning a new development, upgrading public infrastructure, or improving community systems, our team is ready to help bring your project from concept to completion.