States › Colorado › Chaffee County

Chaffee County, CO Water Quality

Water quality data for 5 public water systems serving Chaffee County, Colorado — based on EPA SDWIS enforcement records, lead testing results, and health-based violation history.

📅 2026 Report 🔄 Data updated 2026 Q2 📍 5 water systems · 5 cities
✅
Generally Safe — Most Systems Performing Well

The majority of water systems have no active violations and lead levels well below the federal action level.

B

Chaffee County Earns a B

Chaffee County: 5 communities across 5 water systems. 100.0% have no open violations.

  • Median lead where detected: 1.00 ppb
  • 1 communities with a lead detection, 4 reporting none detected
  • 0 communities with PFAS above the federal limit
  • 2 with significant inspection deficiencies
  • 100.0% of communities have no open violations
1 ppb
Median Lead Level
County-wide, 90th percentile
5
Water Systems
Active CWS & NTNCWS
100%
Violation-Free
No active violations on record
How we grade counties: MyWaterIQ uses EPA SDWIS enforcement data — actual MCL violations and lead test results — not the aspirational MCLG targets used by some sites. A grade reflects real compliance history, not theoretical risk. Learn more →

Cities by Water Quality

⭐ Best Performing
  • Nathrop
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
  • Salida
    Not detected
    2 significant inspection deficiencies
    A
  • Buena Vista
    1.00 ppb
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    A
  • Johnson Village
    Not detected
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    B
  • Poncha Springs
    Not detected
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    C
⚠ Needs Attention
  • Poncha Springs
    Not detected
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    C
  • Salida
    Not detected
    2 significant inspection deficiencies
    A
  • Buena Vista
    1.00 ppb
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    A
  • Johnson Village
    Not detected
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    B
  • Nathrop
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
County Lead Level — Median 1 ppb
Based on most recent 90th percentile lead tests across all reporting systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
County median: 1 ppb — 6.7% of the federal action level
Systems by Lead Level
Under 5 ppb
1
No Data
4

All Cities in Chaffee County

Salida Not detected A
Buena Vista 1.00 ppb A
Poncha Springs Not detected C
Nathrop Not detected B
Johnson Village Not detected B
Showing 5 cities
No active violations Active violations

About Chaffee County Drinking Water

Chaffee County is served by 5 water systems covering 5 communities. No community here has an open violation on record.

Of the communities reporting lead results, 1 recorded a detection, with a median of 1.00 ppb — 7% of the federal action level. 4 reported none detected, which means below the laboratory limit rather than an absence of lead.

No community here has PFAS above the federal limit on record. State inspectors recorded significant deficiencies at 2 of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Chaffee County tap water safe to drink?▼
No community in Chaffee County has an open violation on record. No community has PFAS above the federal limit on record.
What is the lead level in Chaffee County?▼
Among communities with a detection the median is 1.00 ppb, 7% of the 15 ppb action level. 4 reported none detected and 0 reported no result.
How many water systems serve Chaffee County?▼
5 community water systems serve 5 communities here.
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