The City of Black Hawk Water Department supplies drinking water to the entire city from North Clear Creek, wells and springs up Dory Hill Road, and Clear Creek, so homes and businesses here don't run their own well pumps. When pressure drops or water stops, a plumber can check the plumbing on your side. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Black Hawk.
Black Hawk's water system
Black Hawk is a former gold-mining settlement known as the "City of Mills," now a small casino town of restored buildings along North Clear Creek, sharing a National Historic District with Central City. Its Water Department supplies the whole city from two plants. Dory Hill treats North Clear Creek water plus wells and springs up Dory Hill Road using membrane microfiltration. Hidden Valley, near I-70 Exit 243 east of Idaho Springs, treats Clear Creek water and uses pressure filters for iron and manganese. Water from Hidden Valley travels a roughly seven-mile pipeline through three pump stations, over a summit about 1,800 feet above the plant, then by gravity to a one-million-gallon tank on Miners Road. Both plants disinfect with chlorine gas and add soda ash for corrosion control.
The wells and pumps belong to the city. A building on city water has no pump of its own.
What to do now
- Check whether others nearby have water. A widespread loss is a city matter.
- Contact the Water Department; the Water Superintendent is at (303) 582-2246.
- Look for frozen pipes in unheated spaces on cold mornings.
- Test several fixtures to see whether the drop is general.
- Close the main if you find a leak.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| No water | City work, a frozen line or a closed valve |
| Weak pressure throughout | Regulator or a service line leak |
| One weak fixture | Clogged aerator or cartridge |
| Rusty water | Older pipe inside the building |
| Banging pipes | Water hammer or a failing regulator |
What affects the cost
- Regulator, valve or fixture repair versus replacing old pipe
- Working inside historic buildings, where access can be tight
- Freeze damage on steep canyon lots
- Coordinating with building owners for commercial spaces
- Permits: the City contracts SAFEbuilt for building division services; questions go to [email protected]
Many of Black Hawk's restored historic buildings are commercial. In those, low pressure can come from the building's own booster equipment, a master regulator or decades-old piping, and the plumber will usually need access to the mechanical room. Let the building owner or manager know before the visit so nothing holds up the repair.
Well Pump Repair questions in Black Hawk
My water utility pumps from wells. Does that mean I have a well pump?
Who do I call if the problem is on the utility side?
Can well equipment freeze during a Colorado cold snap?
My pressure dropped and I am on public water. Could a pump be to blame?
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