Service area · Eastern Plains

Burlington water treatment built for the High Plains

For more than 40 years, Water Works has treated water across Colorado — and the Eastern Plains around Burlington is one of the regions we know best. Burlington's water comes out of the High Plains aquifer, and the treatment that actually works here is the treatment designed around what that source delivers: hardness, nitrates, arsenic, and iron at levels that municipal softening alone won't fix.

Get a quote Call (303) 248-3390

High Plains AquiferWells drawing from the Ogallala formation
Hard WaterSoftening that actually removes minerals
Tested On-SiteFree water analysis, scheduled fast

Burlington well water spigot drawing untreated High Plains groundwater

The High Plains water story

Why Burlington water needs to be tested — not assumed

Burlington sits on the Eastern Plains where the Ogallala aquifer is close to the surface and agriculture is the dominant land use. That means most of the water here comes out of the ground, and the ground shapes what comes with it: hardness, iron, manganese, and — depending on where the well is drilled — arsenic and uranium at concentrations that matter for long-term exposure.

Nitrates are the other recurring problem. Decades of fertilizer application and confined-animal operations across Kit Carson County have moved nitrate levels steadily upward in shallow wells, and the same trend shows up in some municipal supplies. Even municipal customers aren't off the hook: disinfection byproducts form in the distribution system, and lead and copper can leach from older galvanized or brass plumbing inside the home.

A treatment system designed for someone else's water almost never fits yours. We start every Burlington job with a real on-site analysis and design from the results.

Hardness, iron, and manganese from the High Plains aquifer
Arsenic and uranium, naturally occurring in the formation
Nitrates from fertilizer and confined-animal agriculture
Disinfection byproducts (chloroform, bromodichloromethane)
Sulfur bacteria and well-age sediment
Lead and copper from older galvanized service lines

Well water filtration system installed in an Eastern Plains home

How Water Works helps

Treatment designed around what your water actually contains

For most Burlington homes, the right answer is a layered system: a softener at the point of entry to handle hardness and protect appliances, plus a reverse osmosis unit or under-sink filter for the kitchen tap where you actually drink and cook. Wells with iron, manganese, arsenic, or nitrates usually need a pre-filter or dedicated media tank ahead of the softener. Municipal customers with chlorine-taste concerns often pair a softener with a small carbon polishing filter.

We design the system, install it, and verify the treated water meets the mark at every tap it's used. Then we come back: well water should be tested at least once a year, and we keep your system serviced and your water verified season after season.

Free on-site water analysis
Water softeners sized to your hardness
Reverse osmosis for drinking-water taps
Iron, manganese, arsenic, and uranium filtration
Nitrate-specific reduction systems
Annual testing and ongoing service

Burlington water treatment FAQs

Is Burlington's tap water safe to drink?

Burlington's municipal water comes from wells in the High Plains aquifer and is treated to meet federal standards. That makes it legally safe — but 'meets the standard' and 'good to drink' are different things. Hardness, nitrates, arsenic, and trace metals from older galvanized service lines can all show up at the tap, and the utility's compliance tests don't always catch what your specific household is seeing.

What contaminants are most common in Burlington well water?

Eastern Plains wells in and around Burlington commonly test high for hardness, iron, and manganese, with arsenic and uranium appearing often enough to matter because both are naturally present in the High Plains aquifer. Nitrates from fertilizer and confined-animal operations are routine, and we regularly see lead leached from older galvanized service lines and brass plumbing inside the home. A real analysis tells you which of these yours has.

How often should I test my water in Burlington?

At least once a year for a private well — more often if you've ever had a positive result, if your area has known issues, or if your water changes in taste, smell, or color. After heavy fertilizer application on neighboring fields, after work on the well or plumbing, or after a flood event, test before you drink it. Municipal customers should test at the tap every few years to catch plumbing-related contamination the utility doesn't see.

Do Burlington homes really need a water softener?

Hard water is the rule on the High Plains, not the exception. You'll see it as spotting on glassware, scale on faucets and shower glass, shortened lifespans for water heaters and dishwashers, and dingy laundry. A softener isn't luxury — it's the difference between appliances that last 15 years and ones that last 6. Salt-free conditioners help with scale, but they don't actually remove the hardness minerals.

Can you service my home if I'm outside the city of Burlington?

Yes. Water Works covers Kit Carson County and the surrounding Eastern Plains — the communities along I-70 from Limon to the Kansas border, plus the smaller towns and rural well customers in between. Our four regional offices dispatch across the region, and on-site well testing and system installation are routine work for our service techs throughout eastern Colorado.

Get a free water analysis in Burlington

Find out what's actually in your water — well or municipal. We'll test on-site, walk you through the results, and design a treatment system around your source, your household, and your preferences. Schedule with any of our four regional offices.

Get a quote