City of Boulder

The City of Boulder sources its water from several locations including Barker Reservoir, North Boulder Creek, Boulder Tank, and Carter Pond (via the Boulder Feeder Canal). Your home or business may receive water from any of these sources depending on season and availability.

The city maintains a comprehensive Resource Water Protection Strategy that residents can access at www.bouldercolorado.gov/water/water-supply-and-planning or by calling the Water Program at 303-413-7400. This protection plan identifies potential contamination sources but does not indicate current problems. Boulder officials continuously monitor watersheds that may be vulnerable to emerging issues like oil and gas development or aquatic invasive species.

All water supplies, including bottled water, naturally contain some level of contaminants. The presence of these substances doesn't necessarily pose health risks. However, certain populations—including immunocompromised individuals undergoing cancer treatment, organ transplant recipients, people with HIV/AIDS, some elderly residents, and infants—may face increased vulnerability. These individuals should consult healthcare providers about their water consumption.

For information from the EPA and CDC about reducing infection risks, call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. Water sources like rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells can contain naturally occurring minerals, radioactive materials, and substances from animal or human activities.

Potential contaminants include:

• Organic chemicals from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Inorganic contaminants including naturally-occurring metals and salts or those from urban runoff, industrial wastewater, oil/gas production, or agriculture
• Nitrogen-containing herbicides from various sources including agricultural operations and urban runoff
• Radioactive contaminants occurring naturally or resulting from energy production activities
• Microbial contaminants like bacteria and viruses from sewage facilities, septic systems, and agricultural operations

Elevated lead levels pose serious health concerns, particularly for pregnant women and young children. Lead primarily enters drinking water through household plumbing materials rather than the municipal supply. Boulder implements a specialized Corrosion Control Program that treats water to reduce lead exposure. When water sits unused for several hours, flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using it for consumption. If concerned, consider having your water tested. For more information about lead in water, testing methods, or exposure reduction, call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or visit EPA.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water or BoulderColorado.gov/water/lead-in-water.

Find digital copies of water quality reports at BoulderColorado.gov/water/water-report. For printed copies or questions, contact the Drinking Water Program at 303-413-7400 or through InquireBoulder.com.

In 2018, the city completed a $35 million upgrade to the Betasso Water Treatment Plant, replacing aging equipment, enhancing treatment processes, and improving waste disposal efficiency. For questions about this project, contact staff through www.InquireBoulder.com.

The Safe Drinking Water Act requires EPA to evaluate approximately 30 additional contaminants for regulation every five years based on potential health effects, frequency of occurrence in water systems, and opportunity for meaningful public health risk reduction. Boulder conducted required monitoring in 2018, with four of 30 unregulated contaminants detected.

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