Is Englewood, CO tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Englewood · serves 59,904 people (11,322 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID CO0103045
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit5 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 24.9 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 level5 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 Jan 2026 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Aug 2021. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Aug 2021. What to do if you get a notice.
- 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.
- Got a boil-water or do-not-drink notice? What each notice means and what to do.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Englewood's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (303) 762-2685. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jul 2024 to Apr 2025. "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 Detected, below limit Limit 4 ppt | 1 ppt 25% of the limit |
| 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 | 0.0016 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 3.23 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 1.6 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 3.1 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 3.1 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 5 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 4 of 4 samples. Highest result 24.9 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: 5 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – now (in progress)). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – now (in progress) | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 5 ppb |
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 4 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 4 ppb |
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2019 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2018 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2017 | 4.8 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 2.1 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 6 ppb |
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
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | E. coli was confirmed in the water. E. coli means the water may have been contaminated with sewage or animal waste. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Revised Total Coliform Rule · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, E. coli (RTCR) Resolved |
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 | 14 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.15 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.62 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 240 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.85 ppb | 21 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.082 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 2.9 ppb | 40 ppb |
Where it serves
Englewood
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 80110, 80113, 80120, 80123
Nearby utilities
- Highlands Ranch Water & Sanitation District Highlands Ranch · 7 mi
- Consolidated Mutual Maple Grove Water System Lakewood · 7 mi
- Denver Water Board Denver · 10 mi
- City of Aurora Aurora · 15 mi
- East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District Aurora · 15 mi
- City of Arvada Arvada · 15 mi
Questions
Is Englewood tap water safe to drink?
Most of Englewood gets its water from City of Englewood. City of Englewood had 1 health-based violation since 2016, all since resolved. 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 Englewood water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Englewood found 5 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Englewood water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Englewood is 5 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2026 (still in progress). 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 CO0103045: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID CO0103045).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Englewood at (303) 762-2685, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
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.