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Town of Branson

What EPA’s and Colorado’s records show in this utility’s water: nitrate, arsenic and other regulated chemicals; lead and copper; and violations since 2016, with the certification that handles each result.

Serves
131 people
Connections
26
Water source
Groundwater influenced by surface water
Based in
Branson, CO
County
Las Animas
Owner
Local government
The ZIP code it serves

81027

The short answer

2 results are above the health goal. The worst: Lead, above the health goal. 1 health-based violation since 2016.

What handles it

What was found

Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 2004 to 2025.

Uranium, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), nitrate, chromium (total), fluoride and arsenic: Colorado’s own results, samples taken from Aug. 28, 2020 to Feb. 11, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.

Above the health goal2

Lead

Comes from pipes, often your own

Above the health goal

2.5ppb

90th percentile, 2023 to 2025

In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 2.5 ppb, below EPA’s action level of 15 ppb. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.

What handles it

Uranium

Comes from the source

Above the health goal

0.6ppb

Highest yearly average, 2025

Averaged by year, the highest was 0.6 ppb, in 2025: below EPA’s legal limit of 30 ppb, but above its health goal of zero. That is the only year on file. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 0.7 ppb, in 2013.

What handles it

Below EPA’s limits5

Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)

Forms or is added in treatment

Below EPA’s limits

34ppb

Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2025

2025, one sample: 28 ppb

Averaged by year, the highest was 34 ppb, in 2023, below EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. In 2025, the latest year on file, its one sample was 28 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 35.8 ppb, in 2015.

What handles it

  • NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
  • NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”

Haloacetic acids (HAA5)

Forms or is added in treatment

Below EPA’s limits

16.3ppb

Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2025

2025, one sample: 7.4 ppb

Averaged by year, the highest was 16.3 ppb, in 2020, below EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. In 2025, the latest year on file, its one sample was 7.4 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 14.4 ppb, in 2015.

What handles it

No certification claim covers this compound yet.

Nitrate

Comes from the source

Below EPA’s limits

1.6ppm

Highest sample; found in 7 of 7

2026, one sample: 0.5 ppm

The highest sample, in 2021, was 1.6 ppm, below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm. In 2026, the latest year on file, its one sample was 0.5 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 0.8 ppm, in 2018.

What handles it

  • NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
  • NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”

Chromium (total)

Comes from the source

Below EPA’s limits

6.0ppb

Highest yearly average, 2023 to 2026

2026, one sample: 3.0 ppb

Averaged by year, the highest was 6.0 ppb, in 2025, below EPA’s legal limit of 100 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its one sample was 3.0 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 4.0 ppb, in 2019.

What handles it

Fluoride

Forms or is added in treatment

Below EPA’s limits

0.15ppm

Highest yearly average, 2023 to 2026

2026, one sample: 0.14 ppm

Averaged by year, the highest was 0.15 ppm, in 2023, below EPA’s legal limit of 4.0 ppm. In 2026, the latest year on file, its one sample was 0.14 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 0.19 ppm, in 2019.

What handles it

One compound tested and not foundBelow the reporting level in every sample. Not found is not the same as zero.
  • Arsenic

What handles it

A certification covers specific claims, not a whole standard. Look for these claims on the certifier’s listing, not the box. Wording varies a little: NSF writes “Lead Reduction,” WQA just “Lead.”

At the tap, or for the whole house?

Lead and copper usually come from pipes and fixtures inside or near your home. A whole-house system sits where water enters, so it cannot catch what your own plumbing adds after it. For those, the filter that counts is the one at the tap. How whole-house systems compare.

Filters with those claims on a certifier’s listing

Disclosure: TapBuff earns a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It does not change which standard or filter we name. As an Amazon Associate, TapBuff earns from qualifying purchases. How TapBuff makes money

Compare five-year costs

The best water filters for lead, ranked

Violations since 2016

Contaminant or ruleTypePeriodMeasuredStatus
Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts RuleTreatment was not run by a certified operator as required.EPA: Treatment Technique No Certif. OperatorOct. 2, 2018—Resolved
Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 52 monitoring or reporting violations not shown.

What this report can’t tell you

  • Everything else. Uranium, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), nitrate, chromium (total), fluoride and arsenic results here are Colorado’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Town of Branson’s own annual report, which it must send you every year, has the contaminants this page does not show.

  • Your own plumbing. Lead results are the 90th percentile across homes the utility samples. Your home’s service line, solder and fixtures decide yours. A certified lab test is the only way to know.

  • What it means for your health. This page reports what the records show and EPA’s limits and goals; it is not medical advice. If you are worried about a health effect, talk to a doctor or your local health department.

  • Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q3; UCMR 5 didn’t sample this utility; Colorado’s results run from Aug. 28, 2020 to Feb. 11, 2026.

Testing your own tap

Town of Branson’s results are for the water it sends out. What your own service line, solder and fixtures add shows up only in a test of your tap, by a lab Colorado certifies.

No lab Colorado certifies is within 75 miles of the area Town of Branson serves on the state’s list. Some take samples by mail; the state’s page lists them all.

All 54 certified labs for Colorado

Sources

PWSID CO0136300. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.

Also in Las Animas County

All Colorado utilities

What to do next