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Non-Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS CO0222230

Cotopaxi School

Cotopaxi, Colorado 81223 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 294 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

294
People served
175
EPA violations
20
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 175 drinking-water violations at Cotopaxi School, 11% of them health-based - above the Colorado per-system average.

175
Total EPA violations on record
11%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
294
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Cotopaxi School

Cotopaxi School is a local-owned non-transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 294 residents in Cotopaxi, Colorado (Fremont County) through 3 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 20 (11%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 147 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2024.

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

Cotopaxi School'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
294
Total Violations
175
Health-Based Violations
20
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
3
County
Fremont
School/Daycare
Yes
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
147
Treatment Tech Violations
20

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 28 2023
Coliform (TCR) MR 22 2015
Nitrate MR 15 2020
E. COLI MR 12 2022
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 12 2024
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 9 2023
Lead and Copper Rule MR 9 2014
Chromium MR 4 2005
Nickel MR 4 2005
Antimony, Total MR 4 2005
Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule TT 4 2019
Selenium MR 4 2005
Thallium, Total MR 4 2005
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 4 2020
Beryllium, Total MR 4 2005
Arsenic MR 4 2005
Mercury MR 4 2005
Barium MR 4 2005
Cadmium MR 4 2005
Chlorine MR 3 2015
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 3 2019
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 3 2023
TTHM MR 3 2023
Public Notice Other 2 2020

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 Cotopaxi School.

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 CO0222230 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 Cotopaxi School 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
2024 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 12 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 0300
2023 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 28 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 0200
2023 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 9 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 0300
2023 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 3 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 2456
2023 TTHM MR 3 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 2950
2022 E. COLI MR 12 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 3014
2020 Nitrate MR 15 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 1040
2020 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 4 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 0200
2020 Public Notice Other 2 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 7500
2019 Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule TT 4 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 0400
2019 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 3 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 8000
2015 Coliform (TCR) MR 22 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 3100
2015 Chlorine MR 3 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 0999
2014 Lead and Copper Rule MR 9 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 5000
2005 Chromium MR 4 SDWIS / CO0222230 / 1020

How Cotopaxi School Compares

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

Metric Cotopaxi School Colorado avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 175 108.9 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 20 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 294 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 Cotopaxi School water safe to drink? ▼
Cotopaxi School (PWS ID: CO0222230) has 175 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 294 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Cotopaxi School serve? ▼
Cotopaxi School serves 294 people in Cotopaxi, Colorado. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 3 service connections.
What type of violations does Cotopaxi School have? ▼
Cotopaxi School has 175 total violations: 20 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 147 monitoring/reporting violations, and 20 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Cotopaxi School water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Cotopaxi School under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Cotopaxi School use? ▼
Cotopaxi School uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Non-Transient Non-Community Water System, serving the same people for at least 6 months per year.
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.