# Sewer and Water Line Work in Curtis Park, Denver

Curtis Park is some of Denver's oldest residential ground, and nearly all of it sits inside a designated landmark district. The sewer work is usually routine. Restoring what sits on top of it is not.

- Eight Curtis Park landmark districts, designated 1995 to 2011.
- Victorian-era housing with original clay laterals likely.
- Pre-1951 homes: check for a lead water service first.
- Landmark status confirmed before we quote.

## What Makes a Curtis Park Line Different

Denver has designated Curtis Park as a landmark district eight separate times, as Curtis Park A through H, between 1995 and 2011. The periods of significance run from about 1870 to 1925. Contributing buildings are protected from demolition, and most exterior changes go through design review.

Curtis Park is part of the Five Points statistical neighborhood. The homes date from Denver's first residential boom, so the laterals under them are among the oldest in the city. Where the original pipe survives, it is almost always vitrified clay laid in short sections, and the joints are where it fails.

A small northern section of Curtis Park fell inside the Vasquez Boulevard and I-70 residential soils area, which EPA addressed for lead and arsenic from historic smelting. That cleanup is complete. We still confirm where a lot sits before we plan how excavated soil is handled on the north end.

## How We Plan Work Inside the Districts

The buried pipe itself rarely triggers landmark review. What can is anything we disturb that people see from the street: a flagstone walk, a stone retaining wall, a historic curb or fence footing. We identify those features during the scope and plan the dig around them, or plan their restoration before we start.

Because the surface is the expensive part here, we look hard at lining and pipe bursting. If the clay still holds its shape and grade, a liner seals every joint without opening the front yard. If a section has dropped or collapsed, we excavate only that section.

The sewer permit comes from Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. Where a job touches a contributing property's visible features, we check with Denver Landmark Preservation before scheduling. Homes built before 1951 should be checked against Denver Water's lead service line lookup before any water line work.

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## Frequently asked questions

**Do I need landmark approval to replace my sewer line in Curtis Park?**

Usually not for the pipe underground. Approval questions come up when the work changes something visible, like a historic walk or wall. We check your address and the features in the dig path before we quote, and plan restoration to match.

**Is the soil on my Curtis Park lot contaminated?**

Most of Curtis Park was outside the Vasquez Boulevard and I-70 residential soils area. A small northern section was inside it, and the residential cleanup there is complete. We confirm the history for your specific lot when excavation is involved.

**My house is from the 1890s. Is the lateral original?**

It may be, or it may have been partly replaced decades ago. A camera inspection shows where clay ends and any newer pipe begins, and that transition is often where the problem is.

**Could my water service be lead?**

In a home this old, it is possible. Denver Water replaces customer-owned lead service lines with copper at no direct cost through its Lead Reduction Program. Check your address with them before paying anyone to replace it.

## Curtis Park: Related Pages

- [More Central Denver Neighborhoods](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/neighborhoods/central-denver#curtis-park) See neighborhood-specific sewer and water line guidance for Central Denver.
- [Sewer Line Service in Globeville](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/neighborhoods/globeville) Early industrial-era clay lines with unusual grade and fill conditions.
- [Sewer Line Service in Elyria-Swansea](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/neighborhoods/elyria-swansea) Old clay laterals threading between rail, industry, and housing.
- [Clay Tile Sewer Line Repair](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/materials/clay-tile-sewer-line-repair) Vitrified clay tile, its joint problem, and what repair options it accepts.
- [Root Intrusion Removal](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/materials/root-intrusion-removal) Removing roots and closing the entry point so they do not return.
- [Offset Joint Repair](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/materials/offset-joint-repair) Misaligned joints that catch debris and let roots and soil in.
- [CIPP Cured-In-Place Lining](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/methods/cipp-lining) A resin liner cured inside the host pipe to form a new jointless pipe wall.
- [Sectional Spot Repair](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/methods/sectional-spot-repair) A short liner or replacement section targeting one isolated defect.
- [Sewer Camera Inspection](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/methods/sewer-camera-inspection) Video inspection that identifies the defect, its depth, and its location.

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Denver Sewer and Water is a privately owned, licensed and insured plumbing contractor. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Denver Water, the municipal water utility, or any government entity. To pay a municipal water bill or reach the public utility, visit denverwater.org.

Source: https://www.denversewerandwater.com/neighborhoods/curtis-park