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Community Water System · PWS CO0134840

Elbert Creek Water Co

Durango, Colorado 81301 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 750 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

750
People served
180
EPA violations
32
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 180 drinking-water violations at Elbert Creek Water Co, 18% of them health-based - above the Colorado per-system average.

180
Total EPA violations on record
18%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
750
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Elbert Creek Water Co

Elbert Creek Water Co is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 750 residents in Durango, Colorado (La Plata County) through 280 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 180 total violations for this system , of which 32 (18%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 134 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2020.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 27 violations (MR). 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, 98 of 163 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (60.1%).

Elbert Creek Water Co's 180 violations sit above 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
750
Total Violations
180
Health-Based Violations
32
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
280
County
La Plata
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
10
Monitoring Violations
134
Treatment Tech Violations
22

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 27 2019
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 18 2019
CARBON, TOTAL TT 14 2018
E. COLI MR 12 2018
Lead and Copper Rule MR 12 2019
Public Notice Other 12 2019
TTHM MCL 10 2020
Lead and Copper Rule TT 8 2019
Nickel MR 7 2011
CARBON, TOTAL MR 6 2017
TTHM MR 6 2019
Barium MR 4 2011
Cadmium MR 4 2011
Mercury MR 4 2011
Antimony, Total MR 4 2011
Chromium MR 4 2011
Arsenic MR 4 2011
Beryllium, Total MR 4 2011
Selenium MR 4 2011
Thallium, Total MR 4 2011
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 3 2019
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 1 1991
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 1 1991
Trichloroethylene MR 1 1991
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 1 1991
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 1 1991
Carbon tetrachloride MR 1 1991
Benzene MR 1 1991

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 Elbert Creek Water Co.

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 CO0134840 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 Elbert Creek Water Co 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
2020 TTHM MCL 10 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 2950
2019 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 27 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 0200
2019 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 18 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 0300
2019 Lead and Copper Rule MR 12 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 5000
2019 Public Notice Other 12 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 7500
2019 Lead and Copper Rule TT 8 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 5000
2019 TTHM MR 6 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 2950
2019 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 3 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 2456
2018 CARBON, TOTAL TT 14 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 2920
2018 E. COLI MR 12 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 3014
2017 CARBON, TOTAL MR 6 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 2920
2011 Nickel MR 7 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 1036
2011 Barium MR 4 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 1010
2011 Cadmium MR 4 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 1015
2011 Mercury MR 4 SDWIS / CO0134840 / 1035

How Elbert Creek Water Co Compares

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

Metric Elbert Creek Water Co Colorado avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 180 108.9 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 60.1% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 750 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 Elbert Creek Water Co water safe to drink? ▼
Elbert Creek Water Co (PWS ID: CO0134840) has 180 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 750 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Elbert Creek Water Co serve? ▼
Elbert Creek Water Co serves 750 people in Durango, Colorado. It is a Private-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 280 service connections.
What type of violations does Elbert Creek Water Co have? ▼
Elbert Creek Water Co has 180 total violations: 32 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 134 monitoring/reporting violations, and 22 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Elbert Creek Water Co water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Elbert Creek Water Co under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Elbert Creek Water Co use? ▼
Elbert Creek Water Co 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.