Wells, Water & Cisterns
The first question I ask about any mountain home
Where does the water come from?
Most homes up here are on a private well. Some are on a cistern, a storage tank that gets filled by a water truck. A few in-town pockets are on public water. Each one works fine. You just need to know which one you’re buying before you fall in love.
What a well test tells you
A licensed inspector checks three things:
- Flow: how fast the well produces water. For comfortable year-round living, you want at least 3 to 5 gallons a minute.
- Production: how much water is actually there over time.
- Quality: what’s in the water.
Water can be the difference between a home that works for a family of five and one that’s tight for a couple. That’s not a reason to walk away. It’s a reason to ask early.
About those minerals
Idaho Springs, Black Hawk and Central City were mining towns. Natural minerals sometimes show up in well tests, even though nobody’s mined this land in over a century.
This isn’t a deal-breaker. A UV filter, reverse osmosis, a softener or a sediment filter usually gets you to great water. I’ll help you read the results and price out the fix.
Check the well permit
Colorado wells come with a permit that says what the water can be used for. Some only allow household use inside the house, which means no lawn and no garden hose. If you’re dreaming of horses or a big vegetable garden, we look at this first.
Cisterns aren’t scary
Some homes store water in a cistern and get deliveries. Modern ones have a sensor that tells you when you’re low, and you schedule a delivery like propane. It’s more common than people think.
Public water and sewer
If a well isn’t for you, some areas are on public water and sewer: downtown Idaho Springs, downtown Black Hawk, downtown Central City and parts of St. Mary’s.
Who I call
These are people I’d send my own clients to. I don’t get anything for sending you to them.
| Who | What they do | Contact | Where they work |
|---|---|---|---|
| GeoWater (Evergreen) | Well service, water testing, well production tests and inspections | (303) 670-3348 · geowaterusa.com | Evergreen, Conifer, Golden, Central City, Black Hawk, Idaho Springs, St. Mary’s, Bailey and nearby |
| CR Smith Drilling | Well drilling and service | (303) 642-3339 · crsmithdrilling.com | Gilpin, Boulder, Clear Creek and western Jefferson counties |
| Living Water Systems, Inc. (Pine) | Well service | (303) 838-4558 | Mountain and foothills communities |
| John’s Well (Lyons) | Well service | (303) 823-5344 · johnswell.com | Lyons, the northern Front Range and nearby mountain towns |
| Colorado Bulk Water (Bailey) | Drinking water delivery for cisterns and storage tanks | (303) 359-8767 · coloradobulkwater.com | Black Hawk, Idaho Springs, Coal Creek Canyon, Evergreen, Conifer, Golden, Boulder and more |
| Aqua Serve (Broomfield) | Water treatment and filtration | (303) 469-7873 | Based in Broomfield |