Tracking Progress: Design Review Project Status and the Importance of RFI Timelines

The Engineering Section supports the WQCD mission by ensuring drinking water and domestic wastewater infrastructure is safely designed and operated. To help stakeholders navigate the review process for drinking water and domestic wastewater projects, we are highlighting our online tracking tools and the importance of timely responses to Requests for Information (RFI).

Enhanced Project Visibility

The Engineering Section maintains a public-facing Project Status Page that tracks every design application currently in our system. This tool is designed to give you full visibility into your submittal's journey. By using this page, you can identify:

• Your Review Team: Quickly identify the assigned Review Engineer and the Quality Control (QC) Engineer for your specific project.
• Active Projects: See which projects are currently under review by our engineering staff or if we are waiting for more information from the applicant.
• Backlog/Awaiting Payment: Projects only enter the backlog once invoices are paid (if applicable). These are queued and awaiting staff availability.
• Historic Projects: This includes a record of projects that have been completed, closed, or canceled.

By checking these status updates regularly, you can better estimate your project’s timeline and ensure the "ball" isn't accidentally left in your court.

Why Timely Responses Matter

A critical part of the technical review is the Request for Information (RFI), which our engineers use to seek clarification or additional details to ensure the design meets Department Design Criteria.

To keep our review queue accurate and focused on construction-ready projects, we are implementing a new administrative update:

• Important: If a project remains in an "Awaiting More Info" status for more than 120 days without communication, the project will be flagged and may be closed out in the future.

What this means for you:

• Project Closure: If an RFI goes unanswered for over four months, the project will be flagged for potential closure. Additional communications will be sent to the applicant alerting them of the need to respond.
• The Resubmission Requirement: If a project is closed, it cannot be "reopened." To move forward, the applicant must resubmit a new design application, which includes paying new application fees (if applicable) and restarting the review at the back of the current queue.
• Stay Updated: We will always notify entities before closing a project for lack of response, but the best way to avoid delays is to respond to RFIs as soon as possible.

Keeping the Queue Moving

Responding promptly helps us all. Idle projects make it difficult to forecast workloads and assign resources to those ready for construction.

Our ask to you:

• Check your status: Regularly visit our Project Status Page.
• Respond Promptly: Aim to address RFI comments as soon as they are received.
• Stay in Touch: If you anticipate a delay in responding to an RFI, contact your assigned reviewer to keep the Department updated.

We value your partnership in protecting Colorado’s water resources. Let’s work together to keep the application process flowing smoothly.

➽ Clayton Moores, Engineering Section Manager

New Limited Series Training: An Introduction to the New Monitoring Schedule Tool

Are you experiencing difficulties with the updated Monitoring Schedules? Do you need some assistance understanding and using this essential tool? The Local Assistance Unit will be hosting FREE training sessions focused on navigating the new Monitoring Schedule webpage and its associated tools. Participating operators can earn up to 0.1 training units. 

This webinar will cover:

• A general overview and associated resources
• Navigating and printing your Monitoring Schedules 
• Troubleshooting, tips & tricks

You can register for this FREE training by clicking on one of the available dates below and filling out the associated registration form. After registering, you will receive an email with information on how to access the course. 

This training opportunity will only be offered for the following sessions:

Dates and Registration	Time (MST)
April 21, 2026	12 - 1 PM
May 11, 2026	11 AM - 12 PM

Please contact us with any questions at cdphe.wqdwtraining@state.co.us.

For other training opportunities and resources, please visit our website: Training opportunities

➽ Elicia Vigil WIIN Program Coach 

Coming Down The Pipe: More Wastewater Content on AquaTalk!

Since 2019, the Aqua Talk blog has been a hub for the Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to relay important information to drinking water operators, decision makers, and system representatives. 

The WQCD will now seek to broaden those efforts by also making sure this space is an information hub for wastewater professionals as well! 

With that in mind, we wanted to provide the following resources and updates from the Clean Water Program:

• A tutorial has been created for applying for the Domestic Discharges to Surface Water Permit. We realize the permit application can be complex, so last year we contracted Indigo Water Group to create this tool to help applicants better understand the application’s complexities. This should help make applications more complete and correct, leading to fewer issues for stakeholders. 
• WQCD has contracted with CRWA to develop and deliver test prep and cyber/physical security trainings free of charge to water professionals. Check their site for upcoming announcements on when these trainings will be scheduled and where at https://crwa.net/! 
• The WQCD offers Quarterly Clean Water Webinars (Clean Water being the half of the division that deals with waste water, storm water, ground water, surface water, etc). These webinars are open to the public and the next one is scheduled for Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• The Division’s Local Assistance Unit (LAU) has expanded to include a Clean Water Coach, Joe Sturgeon (joseph.sturgeon@state.co.us). He delivered the Wastewater MRT at the CRWA Conference in March and will be working with the Rocky Mountain Section of the American Water Works Association (RMSAWWA) over the next few months to deliver talks on Operator Ethics at their Action Now events. If you're interested in attending check their website at https://www.rmsawwa.org/action-now to see if an Action Now event is coming to a town near you!

Please keep watching this space for more information that’s geared towards wastewater systems! We’ll have more information available on trainings and other goings on at the division soon. 

➽ Joe Sturgeon, Clean Water Training Specialist, Local Assistance Unit