Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
AURORA CITY OF
AURORA CITY OF delivers tap water graded D (55/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 533,407 residents in AURORA, Colorado using surface water. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Arsenic detected. For questions, the utility can be reached at 303-739-7544.
Is AURORA tap water safe to drink?
AURORA CITY OF delivers tap water that earns a grade of D (55/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a below-average rating, with multiple concerns including pfas contamination.
The utility serves 533,407 residents in AURORA, drawing from surface water.
Public testing data identifies 18 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromodichloromethane, Dibromoacetic acid, Dibromochloromethane, Arsenic, Trichloroacetic acid, Dichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Chromium (hexavalent), Chlorite, Bromoform, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Nitrate and nitrite, Nitrate, Radium, combined (-226 and -228). For most residents, a properly certified home filter at the kitchen tap is the most cost-effective way to reduce exposure to whatever's in your water. See our filter recommendations below, matched specifically to this utility's contaminant profile.
Quick actions for AURORA residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for AURORA CITY OF.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 21.6 ppb, 361x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernPerfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) detected at 0.186 ppt, 186x above the EWG health guideline of 0.001 ppt.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 16.1 ppb, 161x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Arsenic detected
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 0.179 ppb.
Contact AURORA CITY OF
Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
Recommended water filters for AURORA
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Reverse Osmosis or NSF P473 certified carbon
$80-$750Activated carbon and RO are the only technologies proven to remove PFAS at certified levels.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Reverse Osmosis
$249-$750Arsenic is most effectively removed by reverse osmosis. Some specialized adsorptive filters also work.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
Score breakdown
This utility's overall score of 55/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →
Contaminants detected — international standards comparison
Every contaminant detected, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal (the strictest US benchmark). Why we show multiple standards →
| Contaminant | Detected | EWG US health-based |
EPA US legal |
EU DWD Europe |
WHO global |
CA PHG strictest US |
Tested sample year |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
21.6 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 361× over |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) PFAS |
0.186 ppt | 0.001 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 186× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
16.1 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 161× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
23.3 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 155× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
7.01 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 117× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
2.58 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 86× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
6.29 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 63× over |
| Arsenic Heavy metal |
0.179 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 45× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
4.45 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 44× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
7.13 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 36× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
7.95 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 20× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.363 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 18× over |
| Chlorite Disinfection byproduct |
477.5 ppb | 50.0 | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | 9.6× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
2.03 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 4.1× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
0.229 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 2.5× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
0.305 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 2.2× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.3 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 2.1× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.09 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 1.8× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
0.15 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
85.6 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.0533 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
2.96 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.71 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
40.4 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Selenium Heavy metal |
0.727 ppb | 30.0 | 50.0 | 20 | 40 | 30 | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.343 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
1.1 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.262 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
0.65 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
0.6 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
0.467 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
0.479 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.33 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
0.15 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chromium (total) Heavy metal |
0.329 ppb | — | 100.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.679 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
6.51 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Nitrite Inorganic |
0.00435 ppm | — | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.
Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
AURORA CITY OF service area
This water system serves 1 community in Arapahoe County, Colorado. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for AURORA water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.