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Community Water System · PWS CO0146592

Elk Meadows Estates

Ridgway, Colorado 81432 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 230 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

230
People served
90
EPA violations
28
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 90 drinking-water violations at Elk Meadows Estates, 31% of them health-based - below the Colorado per-system average.

90
Total EPA violations on record
31%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
230
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Elk Meadows Estates

Elk Meadows Estates is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 230 residents in Ridgway, Colorado (Ouray County) through 108 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 90 total violations for this system , of which 28 (31%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 51 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 28 violations (TT, 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%).

Elk Meadows Estates's 90 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
230
Total Violations
90
Health-Based Violations
28
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
108
County
Ouray
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
51
Treatment Tech Violations
28

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 28 2003
Nitrate MR 5 1993
Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule MR 4 2016
Lead and Copper Rule MR 4 2010
Coliform (TCR) MR 3 1995
Arsenic MR 3 2005
Cadmium MR 3 2005
Mercury MR 3 2005
Nickel MR 3 2005
Antimony, Total MR 3 2005
Chromium MR 3 2005
Thallium, Total MR 3 2005
Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 2008
Beryllium, Total MR 3 2005
Barium MR 3 2005
Selenium MR 3 2005
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS RPT 2 2025
Chlorine MR 2 2006

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 Elk Meadows Estates.

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 CO0146592 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 Elk Meadows Estates 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
2025 LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS RPT 2 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 5200
2016 Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule MR 4 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 0600
2010 Lead and Copper Rule MR 4 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 5000
2008 Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 0800
2006 Chlorine MR 2 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 0999
2005 Arsenic MR 3 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 1005
2005 Cadmium MR 3 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 1015
2005 Mercury MR 3 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 1035
2005 Nickel MR 3 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 1036
2005 Antimony, Total MR 3 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 1074
2005 Chromium MR 3 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 1020
2005 Thallium, Total MR 3 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 1085
2005 Beryllium, Total MR 3 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 1075
2005 Barium MR 3 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 1010
2005 Selenium MR 3 SDWIS / CO0146592 / 1045

How Elk Meadows Estates Compares

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

Metric Elk Meadows Estates Colorado avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 90 108.9 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 28 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 230 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 Elk Meadows Estates water safe to drink? ▼
Elk Meadows Estates (PWS ID: CO0146592) has 90 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 230 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Elk Meadows Estates serve? ▼
Elk Meadows Estates serves 230 people in Ridgway, Colorado. It is a Private-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 108 service connections.
What type of violations does Elk Meadows Estates have? ▼
Elk Meadows Estates has 90 total violations: 28 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 51 monitoring/reporting violations, and 28 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Elk Meadows Estates water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Elk Meadows Estates under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Elk Meadows Estates use? ▼
Elk Meadows Estates 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.