After 40 years of working in the water industry, John Kaufman officially retired from the Centennial Water & Sanitation District, which provides water services to Highlands Ranch, on Oct. 29.
Kaufman served as general manager of Centennial Water since 2014.
“We thank John Kaufman for his years of service and dedication to the water and wastewater industry, particularly his contributions while serving as general manager,” said Jeff Kappes, chairman of the Centennial Water Board of Directors. “His depth of knowledge and passion for the job were always exhibited in his work. The board wishes him well in his future endeavors.”
Before coming to Centennial Water, Kaufman was general manager of the Leavenworth Water Department in Kansas, and previously was a board member of the East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District in Colorado. In addition, over the span of his career he consulted on water resources and water rights.
According to the retirement announcement, during the seven years at Centennial Water, Kaufman continued his mission to provide safe, sustainable and reliable water and wastewater utility services to customers with superior quality and value.
In the statement honoring Kaufman, Centennial Water said during his tenure as general manager, Centennial Water celebrated numerous achievements. They included:
• A successful inclusion election in 2020 to include all properties located in the Highlands Ranch Metro District and Mirabelle Metropolitan District into the Centennial Water boundaries.
• The finalization of the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project giving Centennial Water 20,600 acre-feet of storage capacity in Chatfield Reservoir.
• The new Zone 4C Pump Station and Pipeline, which boosts delivery of potable water to pressure zones that serve more than 60 percent of customers within the Highlands Ranch service area.
• The successful navigation through the COVID pandemic while maintaining a high-level of service to customers.
According to the news release, Centennial Water will begin a search for its new general manager immediately.