Water Quality Fee Setting Rule

The Water Quality Control Division is responsible for ensuring that Colorado's drinking water is safe and the state’s rivers, lakes, and groundwater are protected. The division is mainly supported by federal funds, cash fees, and General Funds. The fees were set in statute, and federal funding has remained flat through the years, making it difficult to achieve long-term fiscal sustainability and provide a higher level of customer service. To rectify this, the Colorado legislature passed legislation in 2023 to remove the fees from statute and instead directs the Water Quality Control Commission to set fees in regulation. 

In July 2023, the division started a stakeholder process to prepare for two upcoming rulemaking hearings. The first hearing, which occurred on May 13, 2024, established a new rule, Regulation No. 102, which transferred drinking water and commerce and industry cash fees from statute to this new regulation, including a 13% fee increase. The second hearing, scheduled for 2025, will transfer the remaining fees from statute to regulation. The division has and will continue to host meetings with stakeholders leading up to this second rulemaking. 

You can access documents and meeting materials using the buttons below.