Is Aurora, CO tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Aurora · serves 533,407 people (91,821 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID CO0103005
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Aurora gets its water from City of Aurora. Parts of the city are served by 3 smaller systems: East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District (66,130 people), The Meadows Water System (758 people), Suburban Estates MHP (115 people). Your water bill names your system.
Buys water from Denver Water Board. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit4 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 21.4 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- Lead
- Below action level4.7 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Jun 2026. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Aurora's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (303) 739-7544.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 3 entry points tested Jan 2023 to Aug 2024. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.00041 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 0.82 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 1.95 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 1.4 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 1.8 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 4 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Detected in 5 of 12 samples. Highest result 21.4 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 4.7 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 4.7 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 1.3 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2019 | 3.1 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2018 | 2.7 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2017 | 2.3 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 3.4 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 7 ppb |
Lead service lines: City of Aurora publishes a service line inventory where you can look up what your line is made of. It doesn't publish summary counts.
Look up your address · Source (the utility, collected by us on Nov 14, 2026, not EPA data) · Checking your own line
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 2.3 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.71 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 4.2 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 1.2 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 140 ppb | 210 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.13 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.54 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Aurora
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 80010, 80011, 80012, 80013, 80014, 80015, 80016, 80017, 80018, 80019, 80045, 80102, 80137
Nearby utilities
- East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District Aurora · same area
- Denver Water Board Denver · 9 mi
- South Adams County Water & Sanitation District Commerce City · 13 mi
- City of Englewood Englewood · 15 mi
- Parker Water & Sanitation District Parker · 16 mi
- Highlands Ranch Water & Sanitation District Highlands Ranch · 17 mi
Questions
Is Aurora tap water safe to drink?
Most of Aurora gets its water from City of Aurora. City of Aurora has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Aurora water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Aurora found 4 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Aurora water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Aurora is 4.7 ppb, for the period ending Jun 2026. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for CO0103005: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID CO0103005).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City of Aurora's 2026 water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (303) 739-7544.
- City of Aurora website
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.