Pueblo County, Colorado: drinking water report. Pueblo County in southern Colorado has a population of about 170,000.
Pueblo County in southern Colorado has a population of about 170,000. The Pueblo Board of Water Works draws from the Arkansas River and Pueblo Reservoir, treating water at the Whitlock Treatment Plant. The county's industrial history includes the former CF&I Steel mill (now EVRAZ North America) – one of the largest steel operations in the western United States – and the Pueblo Chemical Depot, which stored and destroyed chemical weapons until its closure in 2023.
The Pueblo Chemical Depot stored over 2,600 tons of mustard agent from World War II until demilitarization was completed in 2023. According to the Army's 2024 closure report, environmental monitoring at the depot identified perchlorate, heavy metals, and energetic compounds in soil and groundwater at multiple sites. The depot's proximity to the Arkansas River means potential migration toward the county's water supply.
The EPA's UCMR5 data shows PFAS detections in the Pueblo system. The Pueblo Memorial Airport has used AFFF firefighting foam, and the depot's fire suppression history adds another PFAS source. A 2024 CDPHE report documented PFAS at levels near the EPA's MCLs at two monitoring points in the county.
Pueblo's water treatment system handles the Arkansas River's variable quality effectively, but the convergence of a steel mill, a chemical weapons depot, and an airport within one county's borders creates a contamination landscape worth monitoring.
Check your water for current data on your area. For PFAS and trace industrial contaminants, reverse osmosis provides broad household protection. Our water filter guide covers systems for multi-contaminant scenarios. Pull your detailed report for historical trends, and visit our Colorado page for statewide context.