The Denver Water Department s mission is to provide a continuous supply of water to the city and county of Denver. Nearly half of its customers live in Denver s surrounding suburbs. Established in 1918 and a separate entity from the city of Denver, it serves more than 1 million people in the Denver metro area and 75,000-plus wholesale suburban accounts and more than 70,000 retails suburban accounts. Colorado s oldest and largest water utility, Denver Water s primary sources are the South Platte and Blue rivers. It is led by a board of water commissioners appointed by the mayor of Denver. The board appoints a manager to act as chief executive of the department s daily operations. The department has nearly $150 million in operating revenues per year and delivers nearly 250 million acre-feet of treated water per year.