Public water system · CO0146592
ActiveElk Meadows Estates
At a glance
Elk Meadows Estates (PWSID CO0146592) is an active community water system in Ouray County, Colorado. It reports serving 230 people through 108 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater under influence of surface water, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
230
Service connections
108
Primary source
GU
Groundwater under influence of surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Elk Meadows Estates compare with other water systems in Ouray County?
By EPA's size categories, Elk Meadows Estates is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Ouray County has 9 active public water systems, and Elk Meadows Estates is the 6th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 57% below the county average of 538 people per system, and accounts for 4.8% of the 4,840 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Colorado, the 2,207 active systems average 3,400 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Elk Meadows Estates is well below that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Colorado has 1,068 active community water systems, 48% of the state's 2,207 active systems. Groundwater under the influence of surface water is well or spring water that the regulator has found to be affected by nearby surface water, so it is regulated under the surface-water treatment rules. 166 Colorado systems (7.5%) list groundwater under influence of surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Elk Meadows Estates?
EPA lists Elk Meadows Estates as privately owned. The CO state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 6 of the 9 active systems in Ouray County (67%) are also privately owned.
Does Elk Meadows Estates have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. The violations listed here began between January 2005 and July 2025. By type: 11 monitoring and reporting and 1 reporting. The contaminants or rules involved are Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, Combined Uranium, Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule and Lead and Copper Rule. EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 as archived. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-02 | ReportingNotification, Known or Potential LSL · code 4H | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | No | Archived |
| 2016-09-23 | Monitoring and reportingFailure Submit IDSE/Subpart V Plan Rpt · code 35 | Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rulecode 0600 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (LT2) · code 32 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Seleniumcode 1045 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Bariumcode 1010 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Berylliumcode 1075 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Chromiumcode 1020 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Thalliumcode 1085 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Arseniccode 1005 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Elk Meadows Estates: frequently asked questions
Who runs Elk Meadows Estates?
Elk Meadows Estates (PWSID CO0146592) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the CO state drinking water program.
How many people does Elk Meadows Estates serve?
Elk Meadows Estates reports serving 230 people through 108 service connections in Ouray County, Colorado.
Where does Elk Meadows Estates get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater under influence of surface water. Groundwater under the influence of surface water is well or spring water that the regulator has found to be affected by nearby surface water, so it is regulated under the surface-water treatment rules.
Does Elk Meadows Estates have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Elk Meadows Estates' water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the CO state drinking water program.
Where can I find Elk Meadows Estates' water quality report?
As a community water system, Elk Meadows Estates must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Ouray County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouray City of | Ouray | 1,460 | Community | Groundwater under influence of surface water |
| Dallas Creek Wc | Ouray | 1,059 | Community | Surface water |
| Ridgway Town of | Ouray | 1,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Mountaintop Retreat Ofbc Inc. | Ouray | 587 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Elk Mountain Resort | Ouray | 268 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Dallas Meadows Community Assoc | Ouray | 120 | Community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Elk Meadows Estates, PWSID CO0146592, Colorado”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/colorado/elk-meadows-estates-co0146592 (data as of October 1, 2026).