Water Quality Laboratory

Few things in our lives are as essential as water. On average, Americans drink about 2-liters of water per day. Over an average life span, that is an amazing 51,000 liters of water!

The Water Quality Laboratory is committed to providing City of Grand Junction water customers and the Kannah Creek ranching community with the safest and most reliable drinking water possible. This is achieved through an intense quality control program that requires a well-equipped and highly trained staff of water quality professionals. Last year, this laboratory performed over 26,000 tests on your drinking water.

Distribution System Analyses

Our task of searching out contamination is not over with the water leaving the water treatment plant. Water is delivered to businesses and homes via hundreds of miles of underground pipe. This method of delivery can be susceptible to contamination if the system is not properly maintained and monitored. The Water Quality Laboratory continually monitors the entire distribution system for adequate disinfection levels and tests a minimum of 40 samples per month, for the presence of harmful bacteria and chemical compounds.

Watershed Analysis

The search for contamination begins at the source of our drinking water, which is the Grand Mesa. High above the Grand Valley, the Mesa is far removed from potential contamination by agricultural, industrial, and sewage sources. Since we are the first users of this water, susceptibility to man-made contaminants is minimal.

However, natural water sources can contain erosion of natural deposits and biological pathogens (waterborne organisms that make you sick). Natural deposits can include naturally occurring minerals and other inorganics. Pathogens may include cysts like Cryptosporidium and Giardia, bacteria that can cause typhoid fever and cholera, and viruses that can cause respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases. Many animals such as elk, deer, beaver, marmots, cows, and sheep can be hosts for these waterborne organisms. While these organisms can cause unpleasant intestinal and respiratory disorders in healthy individuals, they can pose a significant threat to the immune and respiratory impaired.

The Water Quality Laboratory has been monitoring its source and treated water since 1994. In that time, we have found a rare Cryptosporidium cyst in raw source water. Conversely, Giardia cysts are found with some frequency in the raw source water. No cysts of either organism have ever been found in the finished treated drinking water.

Water Quality Inquiries

Our customers are one of the most important links for ensuring contamination-free water. We encourage you to ask questions about the water you drink. The Water Quality Laboratory is committed to helping resolve any water quality issues our customers may have. We are here to serve our customers.

Helpful Resources

If you have any questions about drinking water, please email the Water Treatment Supervisor or call at 970-256-4174.