Fort Collins, CO Water Quality Report
Is Fort Collins tap water safe? See PFAS and lead contamination levels for Fort Collins, Colorado. Compare to EPA limits and get filter recommendations.
Quick Answers
Is Fort Collins, CO tap water safe to drink? Fort Collins, CO tap water meets most federal EPA limits, but PFAS compounds have been detected at an average of 5.9 ppt across 1 compound. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended for sensitive populations.
What contaminants are in Fort Collins, CO water? Top PFAS compounds detected in Fort Collins water: PFBA (5.9 ppt). See the full table for all monitored contaminants and comparison to EPA limits.
What filter should I use in Fort Collins, CO? Match the filter to what's in Colorado water: reverse osmosis handles PFAS, lead, and arsenic together (90%+ removal); pitchers certified to NSF-53 for PFAS like ZeroWater or PUR PLUS cover taps you drink from. A standard Brita pitcher will not remove PFAS.
Fort Collins, CO Water Quality Summary
EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in Fort Collins, CO drinking water. Recent monitoring found a peak level of 5.9 ppt across 1 water system, representing an average of 5.9 ppt across 1 detected compound. These levels come from individual EPA UCMR 5 water samples (2023-2025). The EPA's 4 ppt limit for PFOA and PFOS is enforced on a running annual average, so a sample above it shows real exposure but is not by itself a violation.
Contamination Level: LOW – Low contamination – PFAS detected but at lower levels; monitoring continues.
Top Detected Compounds
- PFBA: 5.9 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)
Lead in Fort Collins, CO Water
EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing has recorded 71 lead samples for Fort Collins water systems, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.027 mg/L (above the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; if your home was built before 1986, a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead-removal filter is recommended.
EPA Violations in Fort Collins, CO
Fort Collins public water systems have 8 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record, including Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule, Nitrate-Nitrite, Lead and Copper Rule. Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.
About the Data
These figures come from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR5) testing program, 2023-2025. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national PFAS survey of US drinking water, covering about 10,000 public water systems. Population of Fort Collins, CO: approximately 164,000.
ZIP Codes Served
What Fort Collins, Colorado Residents Should Do
- Enter your exact ZIP code at knowyourexposure.com for address-level data
- If anyone in your household is pregnant or under 5, prioritize a certified PFAS filter now and consider a home test kit
- For long-term protection, an NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis system removes 94-99% of PFAS
- Read the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) your Colorado utility publishes each year