Highlands Ranch Water & Sanitation District water quality
Highlands Ranch, CO · serves 103,444 people (42,300 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID CO0118015
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Denver Water Board, Wise Project Water System. 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 35.2 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 level3 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 Highlands Ranch Water & Sanitation District'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) 791-2185. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 3 entry points tested Jan 2024 to Oct 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) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 0 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 0 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 0 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 0 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 6 of 7 samples. Highest result 35.2 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: 3 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 3.3 ppb (Dec 2018).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 2 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Jun 2023 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 2022 – Dec 2022 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Jun 2022 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 2021 – Dec 2021 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Jun 2021 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 2020 – Dec 2020 | 0 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
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 | 8.55 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.036 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 6.2 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.72 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 720 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.65 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Highlands Ranch
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 80126, 80129, 80130
Nearby utilities
- City of Englewood Englewood · 7 mi
- Parker Water & Sanitation District Parker · 10 mi
- Town of Castle Rock Castle Rock · 13 mi
- Consolidated Mutual Maple Grove Water System Lakewood · 13 mi
- Denver Water Board Denver · 16 mi
- City of Aurora Aurora · 17 mi
Questions
Is Highlands Ranch Water & Sanitation District water safe to drink?
Highlands Ranch Water & Sanitation District 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 Highlands Ranch Water & Sanitation District water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Highlands Ranch Water & Sanitation District found 4 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Highlands Ranch Water & Sanitation District water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Highlands Ranch Water & Sanitation District is 3 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 CO0118015: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID CO0118015).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Highlands Ranch Water & Sanitation District at (303) 791-2185, 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.