The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires all water utilities to create and distribute annual drinking water quality reports. In this blog post, you will get an overview of this 2019 report distributed by the City of Boulder. According to bouldercolorado.gov, the goal of the City of Boulder 2019 Drinking Water Quality Report is to provide customers with safe and high-quality drinking water. The City of Boulder water supply comes from Barker Reservoir, North Boulder Creek, Boulder Reservoir and Carter Lake.
This report provides information about Boulder County’s water system including the sources of drinking water, its treatment and water quality test results. These test results include such parameters as water pH, alkalinity, nutrients, bacteria, sediments, disinfection byproducts, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, hormones, metals, and radionuclides. Below, you can see the results pulled from the 2019 Boulder County Water Quality Report.
Abbreviations Key
Action Level (AL)
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG)
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG)
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL)
Treatment Technique (TT)
Running Annual Average (RAA)
Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA)
Not Established (NE)
Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU)
Parts Per Million (ppm)
Parts Per Billion (ppb)
Test |
Units |
MCL |
MCLG |
Results |
| Barium | ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.011 average 0.008 - 0.014 range |
| Chlorine | ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.81 average 0.26 - 1.35 range |
| Fluoride | ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.28 average 0.06 - 0.9 range |
| Total Coliform Bacteria | Absent or Present | No more than 5% of at least 120 samples can be positive | 0 | 0.81% (1 sample) of 124 samples were positive |
Test |
Units |
TT Requirement |
Results |
| Turbidity | NTU | Not to exceed 1 NTU for any single measurement | Highest single measurement: 0.26 0.1 - 0.26 range |
| Chlorine | ppm | At least 95% of month’s samples must be at least 0.2 ppm | Lowest monthly percentage of samples meeting TT standard: 100% |
Test |
Units |
Results |
| Bromide | ppb | 3.88 average <5 - 21 range |
| Haloacetic Acids | ppb | 25.1 Average 14.5 - 41.2 range 33.6 Highest LRAA |
| Manganese | ppm | 0.24 average < 0.4 - .51 range |
Test |
Units |
TT Requirement |
Results |
| Turbidity | NTU | Highest single measurement: 0.26 0.1 - 0.26 range | Highest single measurement: 0.26 0.1 - 0.26 range |
| Chlorine | ppm | Lowest monthly percentage of samples meeting TT standard: 100% | Lowest monthly percentage of samples meeting TT standard: 100% |
Test |
Units |
AL |
90th Percentile |
| Copper | ppm | 1.3 | 0.194 |
| Lead | ppb | 15 | 2 |
Other Drinking Water Options for Colorado Residents
At Eldorado Artesian Springs, Inc., our drinking water comes from a naturally occurring artesian spring located in Eldorado Springs, Colorado (just outside of Boulder, Colorado.) From there, it enters an aquifer that passes deep beneath Eldorado Springs. Immense, natural artesian spring pressure forces the water through a layer of sandstone up to the surface in Eldorado Springs, creating a natural filtering system. Protecting the source from all other ground waters is a thick layer of clay just above the sandstone that is impervious to ground water. Contributing further to the purity of Eldorado Springs is the fact that it is surrounded by hundreds of acres of local, state and federal park land.
Eldorado Artesian Springs, Inc. is under jurisdiction of the FDA, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (usually accompanied by the Boulder County Health Department) and the Department of the Army (for military food sales). In addition, we are Level 2 (excellent) certified by Safe Quality Foods (SQF).
Tap water filtration systems work to remove less desirable components of drinking water but don't control what remains in the water. In addition, natural spring water produces a better flavor than home filtered water. This is because flavor is dependent on mineral concentration and the geographic location of the spring. Our drinking water has won multiple awards for taste at the largest and longest-running water tasting contest in the world. See and taste for yourself how pure water straight from Colorado artesian springs compares to the tap.
