Dove Creek releases 2026 water quality report for 2025 data

Dove Creek’s annual drinking-water report gives residents a direct check on the town system, and the 2026 draft covers calendar year 2025 under Public Water System ID CO0117300. For households, landlords and local businesses, the few numbers to keep handy are Lorraine Hancock at 970-677-2255, the June release window for the report, and the bulk-water rate of $10.00 per thousand gallons at 1st and Marion Street.

The town says drinking-water reports become available in June for the calendar year before the current year, which puts this filing squarely into Dove Creek’s regular accountability cycle. The report is the town’s public-facing consumer confidence report, the annual drinking-water update community systems use to tell customers about water quality. In a county seat with a small customer base and an estimated Dolores County population of 2,466 as of July 1, 2025, those updates carry outsized weight.

The report also tells residents where to take concerns. Hancock is the listed contact for questions and public participation opportunities that may affect water quality. A year ago, the 2025 report for 2023 data listed Dagan Chadd at the same phone number, showing that the contact name has changed while the town keeps the same line open for public use. That continuity matters for anyone trying to compare this year’s report with earlier ones or asking how the system has been handled over time.

The draft includes standard health guidance that some people, including immunocompromised residents, some elderly people and infants, may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water and may want to consult a health care provider. It also points to the kinds of activities that can affect source water in rural western Colorado, including septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, mining, oil and gas production, stormwater runoff and other human activity.

For Dove Creek, the message is straightforward: the town is still documenting the system, still posting its annual report and still keeping a public point of contact open. The report is one of the clearest ways residents can judge whether local water oversight is staying visible, current and answerable.