From the Big Thompson to Loveland taps
Loveland Water and Power belongs to the city government and pulls raw water from two places. The first is the Big Thompson River itself, under the city's own water rights, taken near the canyon mouth. The second is the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, the federal system that brings West Slope water under the Continental Divide and down through the Big Thompson basin. C-BT water reaches the treatment plant through the Charles Hansen Feeder Canal and Green Ridge Glade Reservoir, a city-owned lake just north of the plant that also serves as an emergency supply when the river is muddy or unavailable.
The water treatment plant sits in the foothills west of town, close to where the river leaves the canyon. Because the water starts as snowmelt in Rocky Mountain National Park and the high country around Estes Park, it is soft and low in dissolved minerals. A typical Loveland tank collects only a thin layer of grit, and a tankless heat exchanger here rarely chokes on scale the way units on well water further east sometimes do.
Algae blooms in Green Ridge Glade have caused earthy tastes and smells in some past summers. That is a cold-water taste issue that the utility manages at the plant, and it should not be confused with the rotten-egg smell that comes from a reacting anode inside a hot water tank.
Downtown, Lake Loveland and the east side
Loveland's historic core runs along Fourth Street and the grid of streets around it, where brick and frame homes from the early 1900s sit on narrow lots. Heaters here often live in partial basements or cellars, sometimes with only a crawl-height ceiling, and older houses may still route the heater flue into a brick chimney. Plumbers working downtown frequently find corroded galvanized lines and venting that has not been updated in decades.
Around Lake Loveland and on the streets heading west toward Mariana Butte and the foothills, the housing shifts to 1960s through 1990s ranches, bi-levels and golf-course homes with full or garden-level basements. East of Interstate 25, around Centerra and the developments near Boyd Lake, two-story homes built since the 2000s typically put the heater and furnace together in an unfinished room, often next to a sump pit and a radon fan.
The 1976 and 2013 Big Thompson floods
Loveland's history includes two of Colorado's most destructive floods. In July 1976 a stalled thunderstorm sent a wall of water down the Big Thompson Canyon, killing well over a hundred people. In September 2013, days of rain across the northern Front Range pushed the river out of its banks again, destroying long stretches of U.S. Highway 34 in the canyon, damaging homes and mobile home parks along the river on the city's west side, and cutting off canyon communities for weeks.
For water heater owners, the lesson from 2013 was that a tank does not need to sit beside the river to take on water. Saturated ground filled basements in parts of town far from the channel. Gas controls and burners that sat underwater cannot be trusted, so those heaters must be replaced or evaluated by a pro, and many owners in flood-prone areas now raise the heater on a stand, add a pan and alarm, and keep a clear path to the gas shutoff.
What Loveland plumbers fix most
- Heaters that cannot keep up in January when the Big Thompson runs near freezing.
- Yellow, sooty flames on gas burners that were never set up for nearly 5,000 feet.
- Anodes consumed early by soft river water in tanks that otherwise look sound.
- Crumbling chimney flues in older homes near downtown and Fourth Street.
- Leaks in finished basements around Lake Loveland that go unnoticed until carpet is soaked.
- Wiring and breaker questions when owners switch from gas to a heat pump on city power.
Water heater costs in Loveland
| Job | Typical Loveland range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Thermocouple, igniter or flame sensor | $165–$330 | |
| Gas control valve replacement | $420–$700 | |
| Anode rod replacement | $200–$410 | |
| Electric element and thermostat | $190–$390 | |
| Raise heater on a stand with pan and alarm | $250–$550 | Often paired with replacement |
| 40–50 gallon gas tank replaced | $1,800–$3,500 | Permit and disposal included |
| Heat pump water heater installed | $3,800–$6,800 | New circuit may be extra |
Northern Colorado rates run a little below Denver and Boulder. Loveland jobs move toward the top of these ranges when a heater sits in a tight crawl-height basement, when a downtown chimney has to be lined before a new gas tank can vent safely, or when a heat pump install needs a service panel upgrade first.
Permits and Colorado plumbing licenses
Inside Loveland, a heater swap is permitted by the city Building Division, and an inspector comes out to sign off on the venting, gas piping and relief line. Properties in unincorporated Larimer County, including some rural lots west of town and toward the canyon, are permitted through Larimer County's building department instead.
The Colorado State Plumbing Board, housed in DORA, licenses plumbers statewide, and work on a gas or electric heater belongs to a licensed plumber or an apprentice working under one. You can confirm a license through the DORA online lookup before signing anything.
City power, Xcel gas and heat pump options
Loveland Water and Power also runs the city's electric system, buying wholesale power through Platte River Power Authority, the generating agency it shares with Fort Collins, Longmont and Estes Park. Natural gas in Loveland comes from Xcel Energy. Both the city utility and Xcel have posted water heater rebates at times; Loveland owners should check both sites for the current terms.
A Loveland basement suits a heat pump water heater because the room stays around 55 to 65 degrees all year, and the unit's cool exhaust can even help dehumidify in summer. The tradeoff is a slower recovery rate in winter, when inlet water is cold, so households with heavy morning demand often choose a 65- or 80-gallon heat pump model rather than matching their old 40-gallon gas tank.
Altitude and gas burner setup
Gas water heaters lose some of their rated output at Loveland's elevation, and manufacturers specify how a burner should be configured above certain altitudes. An installer who skips this step can leave a heater burning rich, which wastes gas and can produce carbon monoxide. If a Loveland heater shows a lazy yellow flame or a sooty flue, call a plumber. The gas valve and pilot service page describes what a technician checks on those visits.
Should you repair or replace?
Soft Big Thompson water is kind to tanks, and a well-maintained Loveland heater often runs eleven to fourteen years. If yours is younger than nine and the problem is a control, igniter, element or relief valve, repairing it is generally worthwhile. A heater that has stood in floodwater, shows rust at the base, or is past twelve years is better replaced, especially in a finished basement. Our replacement walkthrough lays out the steps and timeline.
Around Loveland
Fort Collins to the north has its own water, electric and building departments. Berthoud to the south runs a town water system and its own permit office. Johnstown and Windsor to the east manage their own water and inspections, though some eastern subdivisions are served by districts such as Little Thompson Water District. Unincorporated areas west of Loveland and up the canyon toward Drake and Estes Park fall under Larimer County permitting.
Water heater questions from Loveland
Is Loveland water hard?
No. Loveland Water and Power delivers soft mountain water from the Big Thompson River and the C-BT system, so scale builds slowly.
My basement flooded in 2013. Was the heater safe to keep?
A gas heater that stood in floodwater should have been replaced or professionally checked. If yours was simply dried out and relit, have a plumber inspect the control valve and burner.
Why does my tap water sometimes taste earthy in summer?
Algae in Green Ridge Glade Reservoir has caused taste issues in some past summers. If only the hot water smells, the cause is more likely your tank's anode.
Who supplies electricity and gas in Loveland?
The city's Loveland Water and Power provides electricity, and Xcel Energy provides natural gas.
Will a heat pump model run well downstairs in my Loveland basement?
Yes. A basement that stays in the 50s and 60s gives a heat pump steady air to work with, though recovery is slower when inlet water is cold.
Is a permit required for a Loveland heater change-out?
Yes. Inside city limits the Building Division issues the permit, and unincorporated addresses go through Larimer County.