The Eagle River Water & Sanitation District and the Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority are public water systems regulated under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The District and Authority are committed to providing safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water to their customers. Efforts are continuously made to protect and improve source water, use advanced drinking water treatment technologies, and use innovative approaches for the management of water operations and water resources. The District and Authority strive to effectively integrate drinking water source protection, treatment, and distribution in order to protect public health and the environment. On an annual basis, public water systems must provide a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), which details the quality of their drinking water.
For more information about your drinking water, see Understanding My Drinking Water (below) and the ERWSD or UERWA CCR (below).
Contents
Understanding My Drinking Water
Understanding My Drinking Water
Drinking Water Sources
The District and the Authority have numerous high quality natural water sources for drinking water. The water treated from sources open to the atmosphere (such as rivers, lakes and reservoirs) is known as surface water. Water pumped from wells drilled into underground aquifers – geologic formations containing water – is called groundwater.
Common Sources of Pollution
The water from surface and groundwater sources undergoes drinking water treatment. Drinking water treatment removes contaminants that occur both naturally and through human activities, so that all drinking water complies with strict Federal standards. Generally, surface water systems require more treatment because they are exposed to the atmosphere and runoff from precipitation and melting snow.
Source Water Protection
In 2021, the Eagle River Water & Sanitation District and other community stakeholders completed the Gore Creek Watershed Source Water Protection Plan (SWPP). The SWPP identifies best management practices to further protect the watershed and minimize potential contaminate threats to the source water.
Law Governing Safe Drinking Water
Public water providers like the District and the Authority are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
It is reasonable to expect that drinking water contains at least small amounts of some contaminants. As discussed above, public drinking water is regulated under the SDWA, which establishes limits for contaminants.
Household Wells
While the EPA regulates public water systems, it does not have the authority to regulate private wells. For more information about ensuring the protection and maintenance of private wells, visit the EPA website or call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.
Consumer Confidence Report: ERWSD
The Eagle River Water & Sanitation District 2021 Consumer Confidence Report details the quality water and services we deliver covering the monitoring period of January 1 to December 31, 2021, for the public water system that serves the town of Vail.
Federal regulations require that this report be distributed to District water customers. It is mailed to all customer accounts by June 30 of each year and made available online to reach non-bill-paying consumers. The water quality testing results shown in the report are the detections found during the monitoring period, which result from thousands of water quality tests performed over the course of the year. The District’s drinking water meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water standards.
Please contact Customer Service at 970-476-4780 with questions about this report.
Archived Reports:
2020 Consumer Confidence Report – ERWSD
2019 Consumer Confidence Report – ERWSD
2018 Consumer Confidence Report – ERWSD
2017 Consumer Confidence Report – ERWSD
2016 Consumer Confidence Report – ERWSD
2015 Consumer Confidence Report – ERWSD
2014 Consumer Confidence Report – ERWSD
2013 Consumer Confidence Report – ERWSD
2012 Consumer Confidence Report – ERWSD
2011 Consumer Confidence Report – ERWSD
2010 Consumer Confidence Report – ERWSD
Consumer Confidence Report: UERWA
The Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority 2021 Consumer Confidence Report details the quality water and services we deliver covering the monitoring period of January 1 to December 31, 2021, for the public water system that serves the town of Avon and the metropolitan districts of Arrowhead, Bachelor Gulch, Beaver Creek, Berry Creek, Cordillera, EagleVail, and Edwards. Federal regulations require that this report be distributed to Authority customers. It is mailed to all customer accounts by June 30 of each year and made available online to reach non-bill-paying consumers. The water quality testing results shown in the report are the detections found during the monitoring period, which result from thousands of water quality tests performed over the course of the year. The Authority’s drinking water meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water standards.
Please contact Customer Service at 970-476-7480 with questions about this report.
Archived Reports:
2020 Consumer Confidence Report – UERWA
2019 Consumer Confidence Report – UERWA
2018 Consumer Confidence Report – UERWA
2017 Consumer Confidence Report – UERWA
2016 Consumer Confidence Report – UERWA
2015 Consumer Confidence Report – UERWA
2014 Consumer Confidence Report – UERWA
2013 Consumer Confidence Report – UERWA
2012 Consumer Confidence Report – UERWA
2011 Consumer Confidence Report – UERWA
2010 Consumer Confidence Report – UERWA
Water Hardness
Water hardness is due to natural concentration of calcium and magnesium or calcium carbonate. Calcium and magnesium are naturally occurring throughout watersheds and are also found in surface and groundwater sources. “Ideal” water hardness for drinking water ranges between approximately 50 to 100 mg/L. Above this level, hardness can contribute to scaling of water heaters and boilers. Water with hardness below this level tends to be more aggressive and can cause deterioration of the inner surface of pipes, eventually leading to pinholes or leaks.
The Vail Valley has seasonal drinking water sources and, as a result, hardness levels can vary throughout the year. For instance, when groundwater is the main drinking water source, water hardness tends to be higher due to higher levels of mineral deposits. When surface water is the source, hardness levels can fluctuate due to the dilution of river water and less contact with soil minerals. Generally speaking, surface water is softer than groundwater. Hardness in the District’s treated drinking water ranges between 160 and 350 mg/L with an average of about 250 mg/L. Hardness in the Authority’s treated drinking water ranges between 50 and 380 mg/L with an average of about 120 mg/L.
Laboratory Services
The District’s Laboratory is certified by the State of Colorado to perform bacteriological testing of drinking water as well as other testing. Coliform bacteria in water (total and E. coli) are tested in accordance with requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Total Coliform bacteria are a class of bacteria commonly found in the environment. E. coli is an organism found in animal and human waste. The presence of E. coli in drinking water may indicate contamination of the water supply. Public water providers are required to have treated drinking water tested for coliform bacteria on a regular basis. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends people drinking from private wells have their water tested for Total Coliform and E. coli on an annual basis.
For more information about bacteriological tests on drinking water, please call the District Laboratory at 970-477-7915. For information on other water quality issues, please see the FAQ section.
