Public water system · CO0123676
ActiveRifle City of
At a glance
City of Rifle (PWSID CO0123676) is an active community water system in Garfield County, Colorado. It reports serving 9,489 people through 3,787 service connections. Its primary water source is 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 October 2023.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
9,489
Service connections
3,787
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Rifle compare with other water systems in Garfield County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Rifle is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Garfield County has 83 active public water systems, and City of Rifle is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 13 times the county average of 728 people per system, and accounts for 16% of the 60,386 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 Rifle is about 42% above 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 228 Colorado systems (10%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Rifle?
EPA lists City of Rifle 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. 10 of the 83 active systems in Garfield County (12%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Rifle have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2023. The violations listed here began between January 2023 and October 2023. By type: 11 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminants or rules involved are Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Chlorine dioxide, Chlorite and Ethylene dibromide (EDB). EPA lists 9 as archived and 3 as resolved. 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. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2023-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorine dioxidecode 1008 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chloritecode 1009 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Ethylene dibromide (EDB)code 2946 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Diquatcode 2032 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Lindane (gamma-BHC)code 2010 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Alachlor (Lasso)code 2051 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Dinosebcode 2041 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 2,4-Dcode 2105 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toxaphenecode 2020 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Methoxychlorcode 2015 | No | Archived |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Benzo(a)pyrenecode 2306 | No | Archived |
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 Rifle: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Rifle?
City of Rifle (PWSID CO0123676) 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 Rifle serve?
City of Rifle reports serving 9,489 people through 3,787 service connections in Garfield County, Colorado.
Where does City of Rifle get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does City of Rifle 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 October 2023. 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 Rifle'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 October 2023. 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 Rifle's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Rifle 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 Garfield County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenwood Springs City of | Garfield | 9,428 | Community | Surface water |
| Carbondale Town of | Garfield | 6,700 | Community | Surface water |
| New Castle Town of | Garfield | 5,024 | Community | Surface water |
| Battlement Mesa Md | Garfield | 4,100 | Community | Surface water |
| Silt Town of | Garfield | 3,536 | Community | Surface water |
| Cdot No Name Rest Area | Garfield | 2,058 | Transient non-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, “Rifle City of, PWSID CO0123676, Colorado”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/colorado/rifle-city-of-co0123676 (data as of October 1, 2026).