PlainWater
States → Colorado

Community Water System · PWS CO0160200

Highland Lakes WD

Divide, Colorado 80814 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 875 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

875
People served
175
EPA violations
51
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 175 drinking-water violations at Highland Lakes WD, 29% of them health-based - above the Colorado per-system average.

175
Total EPA violations on record
29%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
875
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Highland Lakes WD

Highland Lakes WD is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 875 residents in Divide, Colorado (Teller County) through 360 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 175 total violations for this system , of which 51 (29%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 97 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 Nitrate, recorded in 31 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, 98 of 163 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (60.1%).

Highland Lakes WD's 175 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
875
Total Violations
175
Health-Based Violations
51
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
360
County
Teller
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
44
Monitoring Violations
97
Treatment Tech Violations
7

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Nitrate MCL 31 2014
Nitrate MR 21 2023
Lead and Copper Rule MR 20 2023
TTHM MR 15 2024
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 15 2024
Public Notice Other 12 2025
Coliform (TCR) MCL 8 2010
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 7 2023
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 6 2022
Chlorine MR 6 2022
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL 5 2005
Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule MR 4 2016
Chlordane MR 4 2020
Revised Total Coliform Rule Other 4 2019
Coliform (TCR) MR 3 2004
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 2022

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 Highland Lakes 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 CO0160200 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 Highland Lakes 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
2025 Public Notice Other 12 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 7500
2024 TTHM MR 15 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 2950
2024 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 15 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 2456
2023 Nitrate MR 21 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 1040
2023 Lead and Copper Rule MR 20 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 5000
2023 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 7 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 0200
2022 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 6 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 8000
2022 Chlorine MR 6 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 0999
2022 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 3 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 0200
2020 Chlordane MR 4 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 2959
2019 Revised Total Coliform Rule Other 4 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 8000
2016 Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule MR 4 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 0600
2014 Nitrate MCL 31 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 1040
2010 Coliform (TCR) MCL 8 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 3100
2005 Nitrate-Nitrite MCL 5 SDWIS / CO0160200 / 1038

How Highland Lakes WD Compares

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

Metric Highland Lakes WD Colorado avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 175 108.9 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 51 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 875 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 Highland Lakes WD water safe to drink? ▼
Highland Lakes WD (PWS ID: CO0160200) has 175 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 875 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Highland Lakes WD serve? ▼
Highland Lakes WD serves 875 people in Divide, Colorado. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 360 service connections.
What type of violations does Highland Lakes WD have? ▼
Highland Lakes WD has 175 total violations: 51 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 97 monitoring/reporting violations, and 7 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Highland Lakes WD water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Highland Lakes WD under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Highland Lakes WD use? ▼
Highland Lakes 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.