Water Service Outages in Colorado by City
83% of Colorado's 1,058 community water systems serve 3,300 people or fewer, so many outages and boil water notices affect a single small town or subdivision.
Colorado drinking water record
Busiest year: 2024 (314 violations). Counted by the year the violation period began. Source: EPA SDWIS.
- Community water systems: 1,058 active systems serve about 7,193,844 people. 883 of them (83%) serve 3,300 people or fewer; 491 draw mainly on groundwater and 481 on surface water.
- Health-based violations since 2015: 2,945, at 400 systems (38% of all systems). That share is 35th of 50 states (1 = lowest).
- Most common problems: contaminant averages over the limit (1,922); surface water treatment (293); uncertified operators (228). Source: EPA SDWIS
- Largest system: Denver Water Board, about 1,287,000 people, with 0 health-based violations since 2015. Source: EPA SDWIS
- Housing age: the median Colorado home was built in 1988 (US 1980). Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 (table B25035)
- Storm damage to water service: NOAA storm narratives mention water mains, boil water notices or lost water service in 2 episodes in Colorado since 2015. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- October 11, 2025, Archuleta (flood): “There were numerous power outages and a water main broke in Pagosa Springs which was repaired on October 12.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- July 19, 2017, Rio Blanco (heavy rain): “A rainfall total of 1.11 inches was measured at the Rangely water treatment plant.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
| System | People served | Main source | Health violations since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Water Board | 1,287,000 | Surface water | 0 |
| Aurora City Of | 533,407 | Surface water | 0 |
| Colorado Springs Utilities | 464,111 | Surface water | 0 |
| Thornton City Of | 226,465 | Surface water | 0 |
| Westminster City Of | 202,078 | Surface water | 0 |
| Ft Collins City Of | 179,901 | Surface water | 1 |
Source: EPA SDWIS.
Colorado is 3rd of 8 (1 = lowest share). Source: EPA SDWIS.
Checked September 2026.
Who to call in Colorado, city by city
5 Colorado cities on this site and the water utility for each. What to do while you wait is in our water service outage guide.
- Denver Denver Water
- Colorado Springs Colorado Springs Utilities
- Aurora Aurora Water
- Fort Collins Fort Collins Utilities
- Lakewood Denver Water
Frequently asked questions
Is there a water service outage in Colorado right now?
Not on this site: no reports from Colorado in the last 24 hours.
How many public water systems are in Colorado?
EPA records list 1,058 active community water systems in Colorado, serving about 7,193,844 people. 83% serve 3,300 people or fewer.
How common are drinking water violations in Colorado?
Since 2015, 400 of 1,058 community water systems in Colorado (38%) have had at least one health-based violation, 2,945 in total.
What is the largest water system in Colorado?
Denver Water Board, which EPA records list as serving about 1,287,000 people.
Report counts are user-submitted; other figures name their official source. How our data works
Cities in Colorado with Water Service Outages Information
Colorado Springs
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 478,961
Colorado Springs Utilities
Fort Collins
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 169,810
Fort Collins Utilities