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Widefield WSDWater quality report

Standards for what was found here

5358
Serves
27,640
Connections
10,631
Water source
Surface water bought from another system
Based in
Colorado Springs, CO
County
El Paso
Owner
Local government
The 3 ZIP codes it serves

80817, 80911, 80925

PWSID CO0121900 · EPA data

Read this first

  • PFOS was found in four of 24 samples, highest 15.8 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
  • PFHxS was found in six of 24 samples, highest 28.4 ppt. Above the 10 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
  • PFOA was found in four of 24 samples, highest 10.5 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
  • Lithium was found in 22 of 24 samples, highest 78.6 ppb. Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.
  • Lead In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 1.9 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.

1 health-based violation since 2016. Details are below.

What handles it

What was found, stop by stop

  • Below the health goal
  • Above the health goal
  • Above the legal limit
  • No federal data

  1. At the source

    EPA UCMR 5 sampled this utility for 29 PFAS and lithium from May 24, 2023 to Feb. 20, 2024. Each tick under a result’s line is one sample where it was found, dated when you point at it.

    NSF’s PFAS claims are tested to below 20 ppt. EPA’s limit is 4.0 ppt, and EPA says no certification yet shows a filter reaching its levels.

  2. PFOS

    Above the legal limit

    15.8ppt

    Highest of 24 samples; found in four

    Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

    • NSF/ANSI 53 · Look for: PFOS ReductionSame claim, other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)

    • NSF/ANSI 58 · Look for: Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)

  3. PFHxS

    Above the legal limit

    28.4ppt

    Highest of 24 samples; found in six

    Above the 10 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

    • NSF/ANSI 53 · Look for: Total PFAS ReductionSame claim, other certifiers’ wording: Perfluorohexane Sulfonic Acid (PFHxS)

  4. PFOA

    Above the legal limit

    10.5ppt

    Highest of 24 samples; found in four

    Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

    • NSF/ANSI 53 · Look for: PFOA ReductionSame claim, other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

    • NSF/ANSI 58 · Look for: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

  5. Lithium

    Above EPA’s health benchmark

    78.6ppb

    Highest of 24 samples; found in 22

    Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.

    What handles it: No certification claim covers this compound yet.

  6. PFBS

    Below the benchmark

    16.7ppt

    Highest of 24 samples; found in six

    Below EPA’s hazard index benchmark of 2,000 ppt. PFBS has no legal limit or health goal of its own.

  7. Also found, with no federal limit

    EPA measured these PFAS to learn how often they occur. None has a legal limit or a health goal yet.

    CompoundHighest sampleFound inCertification claim
    PFHxA141 ppt12 of 24None covers it
    PFPeA109 ppt14 of 24None covers it
    PFBA42 ppt13 of 24None covers it
    PFPeS5.3 ppt2 of 24None covers it

  8. In treatment

    No federal results for this stop. Disinfection byproduct, chlorine and fluoride levels are in Widefield WSD’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.

  9. In the pipes

    Lead and copper, from the homes the utility samples. Your own service line, solder and fixtures decide yours.

  10. Lead

    Above the health goal

    1.9ppb

    90th percentile, 2025

    In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 1.9 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.

    EPA SDWIS, lead and copper monitoring periods ending 2021 to 2025. The line stops at the latest period; each tick under it is an earlier one.

  11. At your tap

    The last stretch is your own plumbing. A certified lab test is the only way to know what reaches your glass. Lead in your water: what to do

Tested and not found

Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from May 24, 2023 to Feb. 20, 2024. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.

All 21 compounds tested and not found
  • 11Cl-PF3OUdS
  • 4:2 FTS
  • 6:2 FTS
  • 8:2 FTS
  • 9Cl-PF3ONS
  • ADONA
  • HFPO-DA (GenX)
  • NEtFOSAA
  • NFDHA
  • NMeFOSAA
  • PFDA
  • PFDoA
  • PFEESA
  • PFHpA
  • PFHpS
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFNA
  • PFTA
  • PFTrDA
  • PFUnA

Violations since 2016

Contaminant or ruleTypePeriodMeasuredStatus
TTHMThe running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageJan. 1, 2017 to March 31, 20170.087 MG/LResolved
Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 67 monitoring or reporting violations not shown.

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.”

  • NSF/ANSI 53

    Claims: PFOS Reduction, Total PFAS Reduction, PFOA Reduction, Lead Reduction

    For: PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA, Lead

  • NSF/ANSI 58

    Claims: Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Lead Reduction

    For: PFOS, PFOA, 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.

Compare five-year costs

Filters with those claims on a certifier’s listing

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

What this report cannot tell you

  • Levels of everything else. Federal bulk data carries results for PFAS, lithium, lead and copper, and violations for the rest. Nitrate, arsenic, disinfection byproducts and other levels are in Widefield WSD’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.
  • 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.
  • Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q2; UCMR 5 samples are from May 24, 2023 to Feb. 20, 2024.

Other Colorado utilities

All Colorado utilities

Sources

What to do next

  1. Start with PFOS

    What each marked result does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.

  2. Read the utility’s own report

    Widefield WSD must send you a water quality report every year. It lists nitrate, arsenic and byproduct levels this page cannot.

  3. Test your own tap for lead

    Your service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.

  4. Compare five-year costs

    What the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.