Public water system · CO0146588
ActiveOuray City of
At a glance
City of Ouray (PWSID CO0146588) is an active community water system in Ouray County, Colorado. It reports serving 1,460 people through 1,004 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater under influence of surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,460
Service connections
1,004
Primary source
GU
Groundwater under influence of surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Ouray compare with other water systems in Ouray County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Ouray is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Ouray County has 9 active public water systems, and City of Ouray is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 171% above the county average of 538 people per system, and accounts for 30% 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 City of Ouray 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 City of Ouray?
EPA lists City of Ouray as owned by a local government. 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. 2 of the 9 active systems in Ouray County (22%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Ouray have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2026. The violations listed here began between January 2024 and April 2026. By type: 9 monitoring and reporting, 1 required treatment not met, 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Surface Water Treatment Rule (3 of them). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Archived |
| 2026-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2026-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2026-02-05 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation without NPDWR Violation · code 76 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-02 | ReportingNotification, Known or Potential LSL · code 4H | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2-Dichloroethanecode 2980 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Xylenes, Totalcode 2955 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Dichloromethanecode 2964 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | trans-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2979 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toluenecode 2991 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | cis-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2380 | 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.
City of Ouray: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Ouray?
City of Ouray (PWSID CO0146588) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the CO state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Ouray serve?
City of Ouray reports serving 1,460 people through 1,004 service connections in Ouray County, Colorado.
Where does City of Ouray 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 City of Ouray have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2026. 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 City of Ouray's 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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the CO state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Ouray's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Ouray 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Elk Meadows Estates | Ouray | 230 | Community | Groundwater under influence of surface water |
| 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, “Ouray City of, PWSID CO0146588, Colorado”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/colorado/ouray-city-of-co0146588 (data as of October 1, 2026).