If you’ve ever wondered why you receive a separate bill from Boxelder Sanitation District for wastewater—while your treated water bill comes from another utility—you’re not alone. The answer lies in how water and wastewater systems were initially built in this region and how special districts operate.

What Is a Special District?

 

A special district is a local unit of government created to provide a single, specific service, like wastewater collection and treatment. Boxelder Sanitation District is one such district. We only handle wastewater, not drinking water, trash collection or electricity. That allows us to focus entirely on safe, reliable wastewater service for our customers, day in and day out.

By contrast, many municipal utilities (like the City of Fort Collins Utilities) bundle multiple services into one bill, because they’re part of the city government. But Boxelder isn’t a city department, and we don’t receive city funding. That’s why you get a separate bill from us.

Why Boxelder Was Created Separately

In the 1960s, development was expanding in Larimer and Weld counties, but city infrastructure hadn’t yet reached many areas. In 1965, Boxelder was formed by a group of local landowners to create a wastewater system that could support safe development in their growing area.

To build the first facilities, the group secured federal grant funding under the Water Pollution Control Act (now the Clean Water Act), which covered 75% of construction costs. The remaining 25% came from the landowners themselves in exchange for perpetual rights to discharge into the new sewer system. Those early investments later became what we now refer to as system development charges, or “tap fees,” which were assigned to individual lots as land was subdivided and developed.

As federal grant programs ended in the early 1970s, Boxelder transitioned to other financing tools, including revenue bonds, to fund major infrastructure expansions such as major sewer line projects like the Poudre Interceptor, Boxelder Interceptor, the Cooper Slough line and treatment plant improvements. Through periods of rapid growth, and economic slowdown, the District consistently focused on aligning costs fairly among users while maintaining and improving the system. This long history of careful financial planning is why Boxelder remains financially stable today and able to plan responsibly for future growth and regulatory changes.

Who Provides My Water, Then?

Customers in our service area receive treated drinking water from other utilities, including:

• East Larimer County Water District (ELCO)
• Fort Collins-Loveland Water District
• Town of Windsor
• City of Fort Collins
• North Weld County Water District

These providers will bill you for the clean water that comes to your home. Your water provider is determined by the water district or municipality you live in. Not sure who provides your water? We recommend checking your water bill or using the City of Fort Collins’ interactive water provider map. You can also give our office a call at (970) 498-0604, and we can help you figure it out.

Focused Service, Long-Term Value

Because Boxelder only provides one service, our team of certified professionals can stay laser-focused on it. That means:

• Deep expertise in wastewater regulations and compliance
• A proactive approach to infrastructure maintenance
• Careful long-range planning, even as regulations evolve

We also operate with long-term financial responsibility. As mentioned above, Boxelder’s funding model has been conservative and sustainable, balancing rate-payer revenue, government loans,  investment income and developer investment. We do not receive any tax revenue and we’re accountable to our own publicly elected board.

So, Why Do You Get a Separate Sewer Bill?

Because Boxelder is a standalone provider created specifically to meet this community's wastewater needs, and we’ve stayed focused on that mission ever since.

From the very beginning, Boxelder was built by and for the people in this region. Over the decades, the District has grown responsibly, adapted to changing regulations and continued investing in the infrastructure needed to protect public health and the environment. While you may receive drinking water from a different utility, your wastewater service comes from well-trained staff focused solely on one thing: ensuring what goes down the drain is safely and sustainably treated.

As the region grows and new challenges emerge, Boxelder remains committed to providing dependable, high-quality service—just like we’ve done for over 60 years.