When someone tells you they have a pipeline that can deliver water by gravity in both directions, it’s worth checking out.

At Northern Water, the story of the Pleasant Valley Pipeline and its ability to deliver water in either direction without a pump is one we love to tell.

The pipeline, which turns 20 years old this month, is an efficient way to get water from the Poudre River to water treatment plants east of Horsetooth Reservoir, and a way for Horsetooth Reservoir water to be delivered to a water treatment plant next to the river.

During summertime, a pair of water treatment plants at the base of Soldier Canyon Dam receive Poudre River water through the pipeline by way of the Munroe Canal and gravity, and the water then is distributed to residents in the service areas of Fort Collins Utilities, Fort Collins-Loveland Water District, Eastern Larimer County Water District and North Weld Water District. In the winter months, water travels the other way in the pipeline, bringing water from Horsetooth Reservoir’s outlet at Soldier Canyon Dam to a water treatment plant that serves residents of Greeley.