In Memoriam

Abstract

This memorial column pays tribute to Denver Water Manager Hamlet J.(“Chips”) Barry III, who died May 2nd in an accident at his farm in Hawaii. During his 19‐year tenure as head of Denver's independent water utility, Barry implemented a conservation program that is nationally and internationally recognized, developed a long‐term integrated resource plan, built a recycled water plant and distribution system, monitored watershed restoration work after several devastating wildfires, and led the recovery from one of the worst droughts in the city's history. In the semi‐arid West, where the competition for water is keen, Denver Water changed its stance and, under his direction, developed smoother working relationships with other, often competing, water interests throughout Colorado. He served on the Inter‐Basin Compact Committee, a statewide group chaired by the governor, which addresses issues between basins. Barry was chair of the Western Urban Water Coalition, which he founded to represent all the major water utilities in the West, particularly to policy‐makers in Washington, D.C., and was recognized by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies for his leadership in the drinking water industry. Barry's efforts extended beyond Denver and Colorado. He served on the AWWA Water Utility Council from 1993 to 1999 and again from 2003 to 2009. During that time he not only worked on the council's legislative and regulatory committees, he testified on behalf of AWWA before Congress. A staunch supporter of Water For People (WFP), Barry spearheaded the payroll deduction program for WFP at Denver Water, which to date has resulted in $250,000 for the organization's humanitarian work. In 1999, he joined the board of directors for Water For People for six years and then became treasurer for the next four.