State guide
Colorado
Colorado’s drinking-water rules are set through CDPHE and the Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulations, which require inventories to include service lines regardless of ownership status. Utility responsibility splits are less uniform than in California or Arkansas: the Colorado pages I found place homeowner responsibility at the curb stop, the meter pit, or even the tap at the main depending on the utility.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Who usually owns the water service line
- Colorado is not uniform: the official pages found assign homeowner responsibility from the curb stop, from the meter pit or meter, or from the service tap at the main depending on the utility.
- State drinking water program
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Water Quality Control Division
- State lead service line page
- Official page →
- Permits for repair or replacement
- Not published by an official source we could verify. Ask the office.
- Assistance programs
- Denver Water says it replaces customer-owned lead service lines with copper at no direct charge and may offer partial reimbursement for owner-initiated replacements, and Aurora says lead or GRR replacement is free through its program if the owner participates.
Official resources in Colorado
Official state regulations page containing Colorado’s lead-and-copper and service-line inventory rules.
Official city lead service line page with map, program details, and replacement participation rules.
Explains Denver Water’s dividing point and states that service lines and meter pits are the property owner’s responsibility.
Shows utility connection points and states that the water service line connects to the main at the curb stop.
Official city inventory page showing Boulder’s public/private split and lead-inventory results.
Key facts for Colorado
- Colorado regulations say the service line inventory must include both system-owned and customer-owned portions where ownership is shared.
- Colorado regulations prohibit non-lead-free pipe, solder, or flux used after June 19, 1986 in public water systems and connected plumbing.
- Denver Water says the dividing point is where the property taps into the main, or the discharge side of the valve closest to the main.
- Aurora says customers own the portion from the building to just inside the meter pit, and the city owns from the meter pit to the main.
- Colorado Springs Utilities says the water service line connects to its main at the curb stop.
- Boulder says the city owns from the water main to the meter, and the customer owns from the meter into the home or building.
Utility water service line rules in Colorado
| Utility | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Water Denver | Denver | 303-893-2444 | General customer contact listed on Denver Water’s site; homeowner-responsibility and lead-program pages explain service-line obligations and replacement options. |
| Denver Water — Lead Service Line Replacement Reimbursement / Responsibility Denver | Denver | Not published* | Homeowner responsibility page states service lines are owner responsibility and describes no-direct-charge lead replacement and possible partial reimbursement. |
| Aurora Water Lead Hotline Arapahoe | Aurora | 720.859.4411 | Lead program hotline for service-line map questions and participation in Aurora’s replacement program. |
| Colorado Springs Utilities El Paso | Colorado Springs | (719) 448-4800 | Call immediately for a private service line break or wastewater backup; page explains private service line responsibility. |
| City of Boulder Drinking Water Program Boulder | Boulder | 303-441-3200 | Inventory page contact for questions about water service line material and the city’s public/private split. |
| City of Boulder Water Utilities Boulder | Boulder | 303-413-7350 | Utilities page contact for more details on the water service line inventory. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Do not assume the meter marks the responsibility line in Colorado; check your utility’s diagram or ownership page before authorizing repairs.
- If you are in Denver or Aurora and have lead or galvanized-requiring-replacement service, contact the utility before paying for private replacement yourself.
- Before digging on private property, contact 811 and confirm whether your utility requires a licensed plumber or utility approval for curb-stop or service-line work.
Not seeing your utility or county?
We list a utility only when an official government page publishes its rules. If yours isn't in the table above, it may not publish them online yet. Here's what to use instead, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Colorado, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Colorado's population center, for comparison only):
- Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality - Outreach and Public Information, Wyoming · about 111 miles
- City of Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities, Wyoming · about 111 miles
- EPA Region 8 Drinking Water Program, Wyoming · about 246 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.City of Aurora — Lead Service Line Replacement Program
Website →Phone: (303) 739-7000 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Colorado page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.
Helpful guides
- Who is responsible for the water line to your house?
- The curb stop, meter and property line, explained
- Water line leak in your yard: what to do
- Water service line replacement costs
Water line responsibility check →