This article was originally published on March 31, 2025 in the Leadville herald and was written by Finn McNally.
Parkville Water District was awarded Water System of the Year by the Colorado Rural Water Association (CRWA). CRWA is a nonprofit organization that provides training, assistance and representation to rural communities and their water systems.
Parkville’s general manager Greg Teter, assistant manager Brian Formanek and water technician Aidan Fleming attended CRWA’s 44th annual conference in Loveland and accepted the award in front of an audience of around 350 water professionals from around Colorado.
The award is given out based on the quality of a system’s water, the efficiency of their operations and the quality of their training. Parkville was selected out of around 800 rural water systems in CRWA’s membership. The award was introduced by Josiah Thomas of CRWA, who said that Parkville’s approach and execution to their unique challenges earned them the award.
“This system has consistently demonstrated reliability and adaptability. Situated in the highest elevation incorporated city in the United States, it operates in a challenging subalpine climate that limits the construction season. Despite these obstacles, the system has modernized its infrastructure, launching a project to replace nearly ancient distribution lines,” Thomas said. “This combination of resilience, innovation, and commitment to sustainability makes this water system a standout candidate for CRWA’s Water System of the Year award.”
This was the first time Parkville had won the award, which Teter described as a big honor.
“We’re very honored to get the award and it acknowledges that we’re running a good operation that looks good, especially among other water providers and people in the industry,” Teter said.