Colorado Springs Utilities Fined After Millions of Gallons Enter Fountain Creek
Colorado Springs Utilities has agreed to pay $35,000 in penalties following two wastewater treatment incidents that resulted in millions of gallons of partially treated water entering local waterways.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a compliance order this summer addressing the two incidents, including a February discharge into Fountain Creek from the Las Vegas Street Water Resource Recovery Facility.
Between Feb. 15 and 16, approximately 11.9 million gallons of water were discharged from the facility into Fountain Creek. Utilities attributed the release to the failure of a small component in the treatment system.
The water had already passed through several stages of the treatment process but had not yet gone through ultraviolet disinfection, which is used as the final step to remove remaining microorganisms.
According to Utilities, follow-up testing found that E. coli levels and turbidity in the discharged water remained within permitted limits.
The state compliance order also addressed a separate incident in September 2025 at the J.D. Phillips Water Resource Recovery Facility near Mark Dabling Boulevard. That incident resulted in approximately 582,000 gallons being released into Monument Creek.
The two incidents resulted in a combined $35,000 civil penalty.
Utilities said it has since taken steps to strengthen monitoring at its facilities. At the Las Vegas Street plant, the utility plans to improve alarms that identify unusual flows and increase the frequency of staff checks of the ultraviolet disinfection system.
The February discharge occurred as water was moving through the treatment process, meaning it was substantially different from a release of untreated sewage. The distinction was also reflected in the state's response to the incident.
The Fountain Creek Watershed District was notified shortly after the February event. District officials said the treatment the water had already received helped limit potential impacts to the creek.
Fountain Creek remains an important part of the region's watershed, flowing through Colorado Springs and Fountain before continuing toward Pueblo and eventually joining the Arkansas River.
The settlement comes as communities throughout the Pikes Peak region continue to focus on the health and long-term restoration of Fountain Creek. Colorado Springs is currently participating in Creek Week, an annual effort organized with the Fountain Creek Watershed District that includes cleanup and restoration projects throughout the watershed.
Utilities said the incidents highlighted areas where its monitoring and notification systems could be improved and that changes are being made to reduce the likelihood of similar events in the future.
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