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Is Castle Rock Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Yes! Generally Safe to Drink*

LAST UPDATED: 7:48 pm, August 5, 2022
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Table of Contents

Can You Drink Tap Water in Castle Rock?

Yes, Castle Rock's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Castle Rock has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page or the city's water provider website.

According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Castle Rock's water utility, Town of Castle Rock, had 1 non-health-based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Castle Rock was resolved on May 31, 2019. This assessment is based on the Town of Castle Rock water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.

While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.

The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.

Water Quality Report for Castle Rock Tap Water

The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Castle Rock tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.

Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.

EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.

There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.

We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Castle Rock's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.

Castle Rock Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years

Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Town of Castle Rock for Castle Rock in Colorado. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.

From May 1, 2019 to May 31, 2019, Castle Rock had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.

From Oct. 1, 2013 to Oct. 31, 2013, Castle Rock had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.

From Sept. 1, 2013 to Sept. 30, 2013, Castle Rock had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.

Is there Lead in Castle Rock Water?

Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Castle Rock water system, Town of Castle Rock, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.0028 mg/L of lead in Castle Rock water. This is 18.7% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Castle Rock contained more lead.

While Castle Rock water testing may have found 0.0028 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.

No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.

Are there PFAS in Castle Rock Tap Water?

Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - Air Force Plant PJKS - near Castle Rock with suspected leaks.

With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Castle Rock has been evaluated for yet.

Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.

Castle Rock SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years

Compliance Period Status Health-Based? Category Code Code Rule Code Contaminant Code Rule Group Code Rule Family Code
05/01/2019 - 05/31/2019 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) (36) Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) Microbials (100) Surface Water Treatment Rules (120)
10/01/2013 - 10/31/2013 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) (36) Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) Microbials (100) Surface Water Treatment Rules (120)
09/01/2013 - 09/30/2013 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) (36) Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) Microbials (100) Surface Water Treatment Rules (120)

What do these Violations Mean?

Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.

Health Based Violations

  1. Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
  2. Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
  3. Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.

Non-Health Based Violations

  1. Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
  2. Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
  3. Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.

SDWA Table Key

Field Description
Compliance Period Dates of the compliance period.
Status Current status of the violation.
  • Resolved - The violation has at least one resolving enforcement action. In SDWIS, this indicates that either the system has returned to compliance from the violation, the rule that was violated was no longer applicable, or no further action was needed.
  • Archived - The violation is not Resolved, but is more than five years past its compliance period end date. In keeping with the Enforcement Response Policy, the violation no longer contributes to the public water system's overall compliance status. Unresolved violations are also marked as Archived when a system ceases operations (becomes inactive).
  • Addressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and is addressed by one or more formal enforcement actions.
  • Unaddressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and has not been addressed by formal enforcement.
show details
Health-Based? Whether the violation is health based.
Category Code
The category of violation that is reported.
  • TT - Treatment Technique Violation
  • MRDL - Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level
  • Other - Other Violation
  • MCL - Maximum Contaminant Level Violation
  • MR - Monitoring and Reporting
  • MON - Monitoring Violation
  • RPT - Reporting Violation
show details
Code A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table.
Contaminant Code A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation.
Rule Code Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rule
  • 121 - Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 122 - Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 123 - Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Ground Water Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 331 - Nitrates
  • 332 - Arsenic
  • 333 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 111 - Revised Total Coliform Rule
show details
Rule Group Code Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
  • 120 - Surface Water Treatment Rules
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Groundwater Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 330 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rules
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
show details
Rule Family Code Code for rule family.
  • 100 - Microbials
  • 200 - Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 300 - Chemicals
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
show details

For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.

Castle Rock Water - Frequently Asked Questions

HOW DO I CONTACT CASTLE ROCK CUSTOMER SERVICE?
To contact customer service for the Castle Rock water provider, Town of Castle Rock, please use the information below.
By Phone: 720-733-6014
By Email: sgriffith@crgov.com
By Mail: 175 KELLOGG CT
CASTLE ROCK, CO, 80109
HOW TO PAY BILL FOR TOWN OF CASTLE ROCK
Already have an account?

Existing customers can login to their Town of Castle Rock account to pay their Castle Rock water bill by clicking here.

Want to create a new account?

If you want to pay your Town of Castle Rock bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Castle Rock water bill.

Want to pay without an account?

If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Castle Rock water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.

HOW TO START & STOP CASTLE ROCK WATER SERVICE
Starting Your Service

Moving to a new house or apartment in Castle Rock means you will often need to put the water in your name with Town of Castle Rock. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.

Start Service Form

Want to create a new account?

Leaving your house or apartment in Castle Rock means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Town of Castle Rock. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.

Stop Service Form

USER SUBMITTED RATINGS

Castle Rock tap water
  • Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility 22% Low
  • Water Pollution 39% Low
  • Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility 78% High
  • Water Quality 61% High

The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Castle Rock, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).

Related FAQS

Castle Rock Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)

The EPA mandates that towns and cities consistently monitor and test their tap water. They must report their findings in an annual Consumer Confidence Report. Below is the most recent water quality report from Castle Rock's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.

2021 Water Quality Report

Copies of this report can be found at CRgov.com/waterquality

Esta es información importante. Si no la pueden leer, necesitan que alguien se la traduzca.

Town of Castle Rock

Public Water System ID: C00118010

The purpose of this report

General Information About Drinking Water

All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at

1-800-426-4791 or by visiting epa.gov/ground-water-and- drinking-water.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV-AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk of infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, or to receive a copy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and microbiological contaminants call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (1- 800-426-4791).

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can

pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

  • Microbial contaminants: viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
  • Inorganic contaminants: salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
  • Pesticides and herbicides: may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.
  • Radioactive contaminants: can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
  • Organic chemical contaminants: including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and also may come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.

2

Our Water Sources and Water Treatment Plants

In 2020, approximately 65 percent of the Town’s water was pumped from the Town’s 57 deep groundwater wells. Castle Rock overlies the Denver Basin, a geologic formation with four principal aquifers into which our deep wells are drilled: the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and the deepest of the four, the Laramie-Fox Hills. The remaining 35 percent came from renewable water resources which included 13 shallow alluvial wells and a surface water diversion along East Plum Creek and imported WISE water. See table for Castle Rock’s sources.

Castle Rock utilizes five treatment plants to purify and distribute potable water. Having five facilities provides redundancy to ensure reliable service during the winter with low demand, several plants may not be in use.

SOURCE

 

WATER TYPE

WATER

 

 

 

 

PLANT

 

 

 

 

Well CR20 Mikelson A1

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR21 Mikelson Den1

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 22 Mikelson DA1

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 31R

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 33R Enderud

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 39 Weaver 1

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 41 Weaver 1

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 43 Weaver A2

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 44 Weaver LDA2

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 45 Weaver D2

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR-226

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR-227

Well

GW

FWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR27R

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 28R Meadows A-2R

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR47 Meadows D1

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 49 Meadows A8

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 50R

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR51A Meadows D-7A

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR67 Meadows A7 Arapahoe

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 82 A4

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR83

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR84 Meadows A7 Denver

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR86

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 148 Den4

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 149 Meadows D3

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 150 Meadows D2

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR152 Meadows A7 Dawson

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 168 LDA4

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

SOURCE

 

WATER TYPE

WATER

 

 

 

 

PLANT

 

 

 

 

Well 170 Meadows DA6

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 174 Meadows D6

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 219 A13

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR220

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR221

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR222

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR223

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR224

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR225

Well

GW

MWTP

 

 

 

 

Well CR14R PC Miller East

Well

GW

PSMWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 15R

Well

GW

PSMWTP

 

 

 

 

Well 16R

Well

GW

PSMWTP

 

 

 

 

Well AL-1

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well AL-2

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well AL-8

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well AL-9

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well AL-16

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well AL-18

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well AL-20

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well 11R

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well 12R

Well

GWUDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well 13R

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well 78 PC Alluvium

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well 79 PC Alluvium

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well 80 PC Alluvium

Well

GW UDI Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well CR204

Well

GW

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well CR228

Well

GW

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well CR229

Well

GW

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

3

Our Water Sources and Water Treatment Plants continued

SOURCE

 

WATER TYPE

WATER

 

 

 

 

PLANT

 

 

 

 

Well CR230

Well

GW

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Plum Creek Diversion No. 1

Intake

Surface

PCWPF

 

 

 

 

Well 72R Castle Oaks 6 Denver

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Well 73R Castle Oaks 6 Arapahoe

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Well CR101

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Well CR105

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Well CR110

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Well CR111

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Well CR117

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Well CR118

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Well CR123

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Well CR124

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Well CR217

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Well CR218

Well

GW

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

WISE Purchase from Parker WSD

CC

Surface

RWRWTF

 

 

 

 

Purchase Castle Pines Metro

CC

GW

DIST

CO0118005

 

 

 

Purchased The Pinery WSD

CC

GW

DIST

CO0118025

 

 

 

GW — Groundwater

GW UDI — Groundwater under direct influence of surface water

  1. — Consecutive Connection DIST — Distribution System

Water sources and types of water are important to help Castle Rock Water determine the appropriate level of treatment and design the correct type of treatment plant.

Plants treating surface water using flocculation, coagulation, sedimentation, greensand filtration, membrane filtration and disinfection

  • Plum Creek Water Purification Facility (PCWPF)

Plants treating groundwater using greensand filtration, or anthracite and silica sand filtration, and disinfection

  • Founders Water Treatment Plant (FWTP)
  • Meadows Water Treatment Plant (MWTP)
  • P.S. Miller Water Treatment Plant (PSMWTP)
  • Ray Waterman Regional Water Treatment Facility (RWRWTF)

Possible sources of contamination

Aboveground, Underground and Leaking Storage Tank Sites, Commercial/Industrial/Transportation, High Intensity Residential, Low Intensity Residential, Urban Recreational Grasses, Small Grains, Pasture / Hay, Deciduous Forest, Evergreen Forest, Septic Systems, Road Miles.

4

Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP)

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has provided Castle Rock Water with a Source Water Assessment Report for the Town’s water supply. Through this Assessment Report, the total susceptibility of the Town’s water sources to potential contamination from both discrete and dispersed contaminant sources was determined.

The Source Water Assessment provides a screening-level evaluation of potential

contamination that could occur. It does not mean that the contamination has or will occur. Castle Rock Water can use this information to evaluate the need to improve current water treatment capabilities and prepare for future contamination threats. This can help ensure that quality finished water is delivered to every home. In addition, the source water assessment

results provided a starting point for developing a source water protection plan.

In March 2018, Castle Rock Town Council approved a Source Water Protection Plan to help mitigate risks associated with these potential contaminants. The plan is designed to create awareness of the community’s drinking water sources and the potential risks to surface

water and/or groundwater quality within the watershed; encourage education and voluntary solutions to alleviate pollution risks; promote management practices to protect and enhance the drinking water supply; and provide for a comprehensive action plan in case of an emergency that threatens or disrupts the community water supply. To view the plan, visit CRgov.com/ waterplans. Potential sources of contamination in our

source water area are listed on pages 30-33 in that plan.

For general information or to obtain a copy of the Source Water Assessment, visit https://www.colorado.gov/ cdphe/ccr. The report is located under “Guidance - Source Water Assessment Reports.” Search the table using 118010 - Castle Rock, Town Of. Copies of the report are also available by contacting Castle Rock Water at 720-733-6000.

Please contact Castle Rock

Water to learn more about what you can do to help protect drinking water sources, to ask any questions about this Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report, to learn more about the water system, or to attend scheduled public meetings. We want you, our valued customers, to be informed about the services we provide and the quality water we deliver to you every day.

Recognized for Excellence

Commitment Award—2020

Awarded by the Colorado Department of Public Health

and Environment. It is given to a single drinking water system that has shown an impressive commitment to the culture of protecting public health. Castle Rock Water is the first recipient of this award.

Environmental Leadership Program - Gold 2019

Awarded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to companies voluntarily going beyond compliance with state and federal regulations, increasing sustainability and commitment to continual environmental improvement. Our sustainability efforts and Environmental Policy identify our focus toward environmental stewardship and sustainability.

5

Devoted to Water Quality

Water quality is the core of our service. Last year, we collected more than 2,500 samples and conducted tests daily, monthly, quarterly and annually within our treatment plants, at points throughout the distribution systems and at service locations. These tests are not only for compliance for local, state and federal regulations, but show our commitment to ensuring our systems, processes and upgrades continue to provide water to our community that is as clean and safe as possible. Castle Rock Water takes pride in being presented with awards such as the Pursuing Excellence and Commitment Award awarded by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, our regulatory agency, for going above and beyond compliance measures. Our service is for our community and we welcome questions from our customers about the Drinking Water Confidence Rule or for public participation opportunities affecting water quality.

Detected Contaminants

Castle Rock Water routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The following tables show all detections found in the period of January 1 to December 31, 2020 unless otherwise noted. The State of Colorado requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. Therefore, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one year old. Violations and Formal Enforcement Actions, if any, are reported in the next section of this report.

Note: Only detected contaminants sampled within the last 5 years appear in this report. If no tables appear in this section then no contaminants were detected in the last round of monitoring.

Disinfectants Sampled in the Distribution System

  1. Requirement: At least 95% of samples per period (month or quarter) must be at least 0.2 ppm OR If sample size is less than 40 no more than 1 sample is below 0.2 ppm
    Typical Sources: Water additive used to control microbes

Disinfectant Name

Time Period

Results

Number of Samples

Sample

TT

MRDL

 

 

 

 

Below Level

Size

Violation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chloramine

December, 2020

Lowest period percentage of samples

0

90

No

4.0 ppm

 

 

 

meeting TT requirement: 100%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disinfection Byproducts Sampled in the Distribution System

Name

Year

Average

Range

Sample

Unit of

MCL*

MCLG

MCL

Typical Sources

 

 

 

Low – High

Size

Measure

 

 

Violation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Haloacetic

2020

1.57

0 to 8.5

32

ppb

60

N/A

No

Byproduct of drinking

Acids (HAA5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

water disinfection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

2020

4.04

1.1 to 10

32

ppb

80

N/A

No

Byproduct of drinking

Trihalomethanes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

water disinfection

(TTHM)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level

Summary of Turbidity Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

Contaminant

Sample

Level Found

TT Requirement

TT

Typical Sources

 

Name

Date

 

 

Violation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turbidity

Month:

Highest single measurement:

Maximum 0.5 NTU for any single

No

Soil Runoff

 

 

Apr

0.097 NTU

measurement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turbidity

Month:

Lowest monthly percentage of

In any month, at least 95% of

No

Soil Runoff

 

 

Dec

samples meeting TT requirement for

samples must be less than 0.1

 

 

 

 

 

our technology: 100%

NTU

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

Radionuclides Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

Contaminant

Year

Average

Range

Sample

Unit of

MCL

MCLG

MCL

Typical Sources

Name

 

 

Low – High

Size

Measure

 

 

Violation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross Alpha

2020

3.3

0 to 7.1

11

pCi/L

15

0

No

Erosion of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

natural deposits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Combined Radium

2020

3.46

1.7 to 5.5*

11

pCi/L

5

0

No

Erosion of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

natural deposits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Combined

2020

0.18

0 to 1.3

11

ppb

30

0

No

Erosion of

Uranium

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

natural deposits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross Beta Particle

2020

4.2

3.8 to 4.5

2

pCi/L**

50

0

No

Decay of natural and

Activity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

man-made deposits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*The Locational Running Annual Average did not exceed the MCL.

**The MCL for Gross Beta Particle Activity is 4 mrem/year. Since there is no simple conversion between mrem/year and pCi/L EPA considers 50 pCi/L to be the level of concern for Gross Beta Particle Activity.

Inorganic Contaminants Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

Contaminant

Year

Average

Range

Sample

 

Unit of

MCL

MCLG

MCL

Typical Sources

Name

 

 

Low – High

Size

 

Measure

 

 

Violation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arsenic

2020

0.18

0 to 1

11

 

ppb

10

0

No

Erosion of natural

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

deposits; runoff from

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

orchards; runoff from

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

glass and electronics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

production wastes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barium

2020

0.14

0.09 to 0.19

11

 

ppm

2

2

No

Discharge of drilling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wastes; discharge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from metal refineries;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

erosion of natural

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

deposits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chromium

2020

1.45

0 to 3

11

 

ppb

100

100

No

Discharge from steel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and pulp mills;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

erosion of natural

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

deposits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fluoride

2020

0.8

0.72 to 0.98

11

 

ppm

4

4

No

Erosion of natural

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

deposits; water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

additive which

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

promotes strong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

teeth; discharge from

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fertilizer and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

aluminum factories

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nitrate

2020

0.06

0 to 0.2

11

 

ppm

10

10

No

Runoff from fertilizer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

use; leaching from

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

septic tanks, sewage;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

erosion of natural

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

deposits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selenium

2020

0.55

0 to 3

11

 

ppb

50

50

No

Discharge from

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

petroleum and metal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

refineries; erosion of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

natural deposits;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

discharge from mines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volatile Organic Contaminants Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contaminant

Year

Average

Range

Sample

 

Unit of

MCL

MCLG

MCL

Typical Sources

Name

 

 

Low – High

Size

 

Measure

 

 

Violation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trichloroethylene

2020

0.09

0 to 1

11

 

ppb

5

0

No

Discharge from metal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

degreasing sites and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

Secondary Contaminants**

**Secondary standards are non-enforceable guidelines for contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as skin, or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color) in drinking water.

Contaminant

Year

Average

Range

Sample

Unit of Meas-

Secondary Standard

Name

 

 

Low – High

Size

ure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alkalinity

2020

101.50

89 – 116

82

ppm

N/A

(CaCO3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calcium

2017

50.5

50-51

2

N/A

N/A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chloride

2020

56

15 - 206

14

ppm

250

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conductivity

2020

358

230 – 698

14

uS/cm

N/A

Hardness (CaCO3)

2020

134

68 - 346

14

ppm

N/A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pH

2020

7.91

7.36 – 8.50

85

SU

6.5 – 8.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sodium

2020

23.31

11.1 to 49.3

11

ppm

N/A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sulfate

2020

22

13 - 41

14

ppm

250

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Dissolved

2020

239

150-478

14

ppm

500

Solids (TDS)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Iron

2020

0.007

0 – 0.04

14

ppm

0.3

Total Manganese

2020

0.013

0.002 - 0.028

14

ppm

0.05

Lead and Copper Sampled in the Distribution System

Contaminant

Time Period

90th

Sample

Unit of

90th

Sample

90th

Typical Sources

Name

 

Percentile

Size

Measure

Percentile

Sites

Percentile AL

 

 

 

 

 

 

AL

Above

Exceedance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copper

05/11/2020 to

0.22

60

ppm

1.3

0

No

Corrosion of household

 

06/19/2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

plumbing systems; Erosion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

of natural deposits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lead

05/11/2020 to

4

60

ppb

15

0

No

Corrosion of household

 

11/19/2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

plumbing systems; Erosion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

of natural deposits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copper

07/09/2020 to

0.2

60

ppm

1.3

0

No

Corrosion of household

 

11/19/2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

plumbing systems; Erosion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

of natural deposits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lead

07/09/2020 to

2

60

ppb

15

0

No

Corrosion of household

 

06/19/2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

plumbing systems; Erosion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

of natural deposits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

Lead Testing in Castle Rock

Castle Rock Water is required by State and Federal regulations to conduct periodic lead and copper testing. Samples are collected from indoor taps in designated single family homes built between 1982 - 1987. These homes have been identified because they were built during the timeframe when lead-based solder was more widely used. Lead can enter the water through contact with plumbing pipes and fixtures containing lead within the home. It does this by leaching lead and copper from your private plumbing through the corrosion of pipes, solder, faucets and fittings. As part of our treatment process, Castle Rock Water treats the water to minimize, reduce, and eliminate, to the extent possible the potential for this corrosion to occur.

If you have any concerns, or would like your home to be considered for lead testing, contact our Water Quality staff at 720-733-6000 or visit CRgov.com/waterquality. This test is performed at no cost to the homeowner.

Lead in Drinking Water

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems (especially for pregnant women and young children). It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than other homes in the com- munity as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. Additional infor- mation on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is avail- able from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or at epa.gov/safewater/lead

Unregulated Contaminants***

EPA has implemented the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) to collect data for contaminants that are suspected to be present in drinking water and do not have health-based standards set under the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA uses the results of UCMR monitoring to learn about the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and to decide whether or not these contaminants will be regulated in the future. We performed monitoring and reported the analytical results of the monitoring to EPA in accordance with its Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR). Once EPA reviews the submitted results, the results are made available in the EPA’s National Contaminant Occurrence Database (NCOD) (epa.gov/dwucmr/national- contaminant-occurrence-database-ncod). Consumers can review UCMR results by accessing the NCOD. Contaminants that were detected during our UCMR sampling and the corresponding analytical results are provided below.

Contaminant Name

Year

Average

Range

Sample Size

Unit of Measure

 

 

 

Low – High

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bromide

2020

146.67

110

– 190

3

ppb

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manganese

2020

1.47

0 – 6.80

7

ppb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Organic Carbon (TOC)

2020

2133.33

1600

– 2700

3

ppb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haloacetic Acid (HAA5)

2020

1.81

0.55

– 3.20

16

ppb

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haloacetic Acid with

2020

2.02

0.31 – 5.8

16

ppb

Bromochloroacetic Acid

 

 

 

 

 

 

(HAA6Br)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haloacetic Acid (HAA9)

2020

3.07

0.87 – 7.20

16

ppb

***More information about the contaminants that were included in UCMR monitoring can be found at: drinktap.org/Water-Info/Whats-in-My-Water/Unregulated-Contaminant-Monitoring-Rule-UCMR. Learn more about the EPA UCMR at: epa.gov/dwucmr/learn-about-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule or contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water.

Violations, Significant Deficiencies, and Formal Enforcement Actions

No Violations, Significant Deficiencies, or Formal Enforcement Actions in 2020

9

Terms and Abbreviations

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) − The highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water.

Treatment Technique (TT) − A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Health-Based − A violation of either a MCL or TT.

Non-Health-Based − A violation that is not a MCL or TT.

Action Level (AL) − The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment and other regulatory requirements.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) − The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) − The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) − The level of a drinking water disinfectant, below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

Violation (No Abbreviation) − Failure to meet a Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulation.

Formal Enforcement Action (No Abbreviation) − Escalated action taken by the State (due to the risk to public health, or number or severity of violations) to bring a non-compliant water system back into compliance.

Variance and Exemptions (V/E) − Department permission not to meet a MCL or treatment technique under certain conditions.

Gross Alpha (No Abbreviation) − Gross alpha particle

activity compliance value. It includes radium-226, but excludes radon 222, and uranium.

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) − Measure of the radioactivity in water.

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) − Measure of the clarity or cloudiness of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the typical person.

Compliance Value (No Abbreviation) – Single or calculated value used to determine if regulatory contaminant level (e.g. MCL) is met. Examples of calculated values are the 90th Percentile, Running Annual Average (RAA) and Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA).

Average (x-bar) − Typical value.

Range (R) − Lowest value to the highest value.

Sample Size (n) − Number or count of values (i.e. number of water samples collected and tested).

Parts per million = Milligrams per liter

(ppm = mg/L) − One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

Parts per billion = Micrograms per liter

(ppb = ug/L) − One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

Not Applicable (N/A) – Does not apply or not available.

Level 1 Assessment – A study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in a water system.

Level 2 Assessment – A very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/ or why total coliform bacteria have been found in a water system on multiple occasions.

10

11

Contaminants


Castle Rock

EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.

Utility details

  • Serves: 54826
  • Data available: 2012-2017
  • Data Source: Purchased groundwater under influence of surface water
  • Total: 19

Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines

  • Bromodichloromethane
  • Chloroform
  • Chromium (hexavalent)
  • Dibromochloromethane
  • Radium%2C combined (-226 & -228)
  • Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

Other Detected Contaminants

  • Barium
  • Bromoform
  • Chlorate
  • Chromium (total)
  • Dibromoacetic acid
  • Dichloroacetic acid
  • Fluoride
  • Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
  • Molybdenum
  • Nitrate
  • Selenium
  • Strontium
  • Uranium

Reminder

Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.

Sources and Resources

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