United States Last reviewed: August 28, 2026

Colorado Tap Water Quality

Q: Is tap water safe to drink in Colorado?

Yes: Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, and Fort Collins all deliver snowmelt-sourced water that meets every federal standard. Check small plains systems individually for radionuclide notices.

Q: What happened with PFAS in Fountain and Widefield?

Firefighting foam from Peterson Space Force Base contaminated the Widefield aquifer serving Fountain, Security, and Widefield. The districts switched sources and installed treatment, and the sites remain part of federal PFAS cleanup programs.

Q: Why is Denver replacing lead service lines?

Denver Water chose a 15-year accelerated replacement of roughly 64,000 lead lines with pH-adjusted corrosion control in the meantime: a program regulators cite as a national model.

about 880

Community water systems

City reports on this site

Tracked contaminants

August 28, 2026

Data reviewed

Check a Colorado ZIP Code

Overview

Colorado's Front Range cities drink high-mountain snowmelt collected close to the source: Denver Water's Rocky Mountain reservoirs, Colorado Springs' Pikes Peak system, and Aurora's Prairie Waters reuse project. Source quality is excellent and all major systems meet federal standards.

The state's issues are legacy and local: PFAS from firefighting foam contaminated groundwater in the Widefield aquifer south of Colorado Springs and near several bases, forcing new treatment; mountain mining legacy leaves metals in some watersheds; and a handful of small plains systems exceed limits for naturally occurring radium or uranium.

Common Contaminants in Colorado

PFAS

The Widefield aquifer contamination from Peterson SFB foam is one of the nation's best-documented PFAS cases; affected districts installed ion-exchange treatment

Uranium and radium

Naturally occurring in some eastern plains groundwater; a recurring small-system violation

Lead from plumbing

Denver Water runs a nationally watched lead service line replacement program, using pH adjustment while lines are removed

Mining-legacy metals

Historic mine drainage affects some mountain source waters; treatment removes it in compliant systems

Violations & Compliance

Front Range metro systems are consistently compliant. Violations concentrate in small eastern-plains groundwater systems (radionuclides, nitrate) and a few mountain systems with disinfection challenges.