Data-driven information about what's actually in your Colorado Springs tap water. We believe in transparency — no scare tactics, no invented problems, just what the data actually shows.
The honest answer: No. Colorado Springs city water is soft.
Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) sources its municipal water primarily from mountain snowmelt and high-altitude reservoirs — not from mineral-rich groundwater. The main sources include:
The result: CSU municipal water averages approximately 1.8 GPG (30.7 mg/L as CaCO3) — firmly in the "soft" classification. For context, water is considered hard at 7+ GPG and very hard at 10.5+ GPG.
There is an important tradeoff to soft water that CSU itself acknowledges: soft water is more aggressive and corrosive than hard water. CSU adds corrosion inhibitors to protect pipes and plumbing infrastructure. This is also why CSU has publicly warned customers about unscrupulous water treatment companies that falsely claim city water is hard in order to sell unnecessary water softeners. If a company tells you that Colorado Springs city water is hard and you need a softener for it, get a second opinion.
A portion of Colorado Springs — primarily in some southern neighborhoods — is served by the Fountain Valley Authority (FVA) rather than directly by CSU. FVA blends Pueblo Reservoir water with water from local wells. This supply is somewhat harder than CSU's mountain-sourced water, typically in the 3–6 GPG range depending on the blend and season.
At 3–6 GPG, FVA water is still relatively soft to moderate in hardness. For most households at this level, a water softener is a preference item rather than a necessity. Scale accumulation occurs much more slowly than at 10+ GPG levels. If taste or minor scale on fixtures bothers you, a softener can help — but it's not protecting your plumbing from imminent damage the way it would for a well owner in Falcon dealing with 15 GPG water.
If you are NOT on city water, the situation is completely different. Private wells in the Colorado Springs region tap into geological formations that can produce very hard water with other issues:
If you're on a private well anywhere in El Paso County, you should not assume your water resembles city water. Get it tested. Don't guess.
What the data actually shows for Colorado Springs municipal water.
Average hardness for Colorado Springs Utilities municipal supply. Mountain snowmelt sources keep mineral content very low. No hardness treatment needed for city water customers.
Trihalomethanes form when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water. CSU has recorded levels this high — within 3% of the federal maximum. Worth knowing, and addressable with carbon filtration or RO.
CSU proactively tested for 29 PFAS compounds and found none above reporting limits. Good news for city water customers. Note: private wells near Peterson SFB are a separate matter entirely.
The EPA's new Maximum Contaminant Level for PFOA and PFOS is 4 parts per trillion — dramatically stricter than previous health advisories. Some El Paso County private wells have tested above 1,370 ppt.
In late 2024 and early 2025, Colorado Springs Utilities proactively tested its municipal water supply for 29 PFAS compounds. The results: none were detected above reporting limits. This is genuinely good news for the approximately 500,000 people served by CSU's municipal supply.
However, context matters. There are two distinct situations in El Paso County:
If you are a CSU customer, you can feel confident about PFAS based on current data. If you own a private well within roughly 5–10 miles of military installations in the area, PFAS testing is strongly recommended. You can learn more on our PFAS information page.
Colorado Springs Utilities disinfects its water with chlorine, which is standard practice and effective at killing pathogens. The downside: when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic matter in source water, it forms a class of compounds called trihalomethanes (TTHMs). The federal Maximum Contaminant Level for total TTHMs is 80 parts per billion (ppb).
CSU has recorded TTHM levels as high as 77.8 ppb — approximately 97% of the federal limit. The water is technically compliant with the law, but this is the kind of number that health-conscious consumers should be aware of. Long-term exposure to TTHMs at elevated levels has been associated with increased cancer risk in some studies, though the science continues to evolve.
The good news: TTHMs are readily removed. An under-sink reverse osmosis system or a whole-house carbon filter will reduce TTHM levels significantly. This is the most actionable reason for Colorado Springs city water customers to consider a filtration system.
Chromium-6 (hexavalent chromium) is a naturally occurring and industrial contaminant that has been detected in Colorado Springs water. The federal MCL for total chromium is 0.1 ppm (100 ppb) — and CSU is compliant with this standard. However, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has established a public health goal of just 0.02 ppb based on cancer risk assessments.
CSU's detected chromium-6 levels exceed this more conservative threshold. The water is legal and within EPA standards, but for households with health concerns about chromium-6 exposure — particularly families with young children — a reverse osmosis system effectively removes it. If chromium-6 is a concern for your household, an under-sink RO is the most practical solution.
CSU's water leaves the treatment plant with very low lead levels. However, lead can leach into water from older household plumbing, particularly from lead solder used in copper pipe joints (common in homes built before 1986) or from older brass fixtures. If your home was built before the mid-1980s, lead testing at the tap — not just at the source — is worth doing. An under-sink RO system removes lead effectively regardless of its source.
We're a water treatment company, so we have an obvious incentive to say "yes, everyone needs something." We're going to resist that and give you the straight answer instead.
For hardness: No, if you're on CSU city water. At 1.8 GPG, your water is soft. A water softener will not protect your plumbing from hard water damage because your water isn't hard. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either uninformed or not being straight with you.
For taste and chlorine: Maybe. If you dislike the taste or smell of chlorine in your tap water, a simple activated carbon pitcher filter or an under-sink carbon filter will address it inexpensively. This is a quality-of-life improvement, not a health necessity.
For TTHMs and chromium-6: Worth considering. If you're health-conscious about long-term exposure to disinfection byproducts or chromium-6 above health guidelines, an under-sink reverse osmosis system addresses both. It's not an emergency, but it's a reasonable precaution for families who want an extra margin of safety.
For PFAS: Test first. CSU municipal water is clean. If you're on a private well near Peterson Space Force Base, testing is not optional — it's necessary. Don't assume your well is fine because your neighbor's was tested years ago; contamination is uneven and conditions change.
For well water owners: Get tested. Full stop. Well water in El Paso County can have hardness, iron, bacteria, nitrates, uranium, and PFAS — often in combination. You are solely responsible for your water quality, and you can't address what you haven't measured.
CSU publishes an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) that shows detailed testing results for the municipal supply. We encourage every Colorado Springs resident to read it. You can find it on the CSU website. An informed customer is a customer who gets the right solution for their actual needs — not an oversold one.
Every home is different. Get a free test to see your actual results — whether you're on city water or a private well.
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