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Community Water System · PWS CO0130015

Buffalo Creek WD

Buffalo Creek, Colorado 80425 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 125 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

125
People served
62
EPA violations
32
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 62 drinking-water violations at Buffalo Creek WD, 52% of them health-based - below the Colorado per-system average.

62
Total EPA violations on record
52%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
125
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Buffalo Creek WD

Buffalo Creek WD is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 125 residents in Buffalo Creek, Colorado (Jefferson County) through 130 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 62 total violations for this system , of which 32 (52%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 29 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2023.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 17 violations (MCL, health-based). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

Across Colorado, EPA tracks 2,193 public water systems serving 7,473,456 people, with 238,796 cumulative violations and 30,589 health-based violations on record. About 93% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 108.9 violations. Statewide, 37 of 163 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (22.7%).

Buffalo Creek WD's 62 violations sit below the Colorado average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
125
Total Violations
62
Health-Based Violations
32
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
130
County
Jefferson
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
17
Monitoring Violations
29
Treatment Tech Violations
15

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MCL 17 1996
Coliform (TCR) MR 14 2009
Lead and Copper Rule MR 9 2021
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 8 2023
Lead and Copper Rule TT 7 2019
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 2021
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 2021

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Buffalo Creek WD.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID CO0130015 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Colorado Drinking Water Authority

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Water Quality Control is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Buffalo Creek WD under EPA-delegated authority.

Open CO regulator portal

Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Water Quality Control

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2023 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 8 SDWIS / CO0130015 / 0300
2021 Lead and Copper Rule MR 9 SDWIS / CO0130015 / 5000
2021 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 SDWIS / CO0130015 / 0200
2021 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 SDWIS / CO0130015 / 0300
2019 Lead and Copper Rule TT 7 SDWIS / CO0130015 / 5000
2009 Coliform (TCR) MR 14 SDWIS / CO0130015 / 3100
1996 Coliform (TCR) MCL 17 SDWIS / CO0130015 / 3100

How Buffalo Creek WD Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric Buffalo Creek WD Colorado avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 62 108.9 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 32 13.9 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 22.7% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 125 3,408 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 2,193 regulated public water systems in Colorado.

Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Buffalo Creek WD water safe to drink? ▼
Buffalo Creek WD (PWS ID: CO0130015) has 62 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 125 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Buffalo Creek WD serve? ▼
Buffalo Creek WD serves 125 people in Buffalo Creek, Colorado. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 130 service connections.
What type of violations does Buffalo Creek WD have? ▼
Buffalo Creek WD has 62 total violations: 32 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 29 monitoring/reporting violations, and 15 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Buffalo Creek WD water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Buffalo Creek WD under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Buffalo Creek WD use? ▼
Buffalo Creek WD uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from? ▼
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.