Service area · Northeastern Colorado

Sterling water treatment built for the South Platte Valley

For more than 40 years, Water Works has treated water across Colorado — and the South Platte Valley is one of the places we know best. Sterling's water comes from the South Platte alluvial aquifer, from the river, and from older municipal infrastructure, and the treatment that actually works here is the treatment designed around what your specific source delivers.

Get a quote Call (303) 248-3390

South Platte ValleyAlluvial aquifer and surface water
Hard WaterSoftening that actually removes minerals
Tested On-SiteFree water analysis, scheduled fast

Sterling well water spigot drawing untreated South Platte groundwater

The Northeastern Colorado water story

Why Sterling water needs to be tested — not assumed

Sterling sits on the South Platte River in Logan County, surrounded by irrigated farmland and ranchland — which means most of the water here either comes out of the ground, out of the river, or out of a tap that has traveled through some pretty varied plumbing. Both have their own characteristic problems.

Private wells in the South Platte alluvial aquifer commonly test high for hardness, iron, and manganese, with arsenic and nitrates appearing often enough to matter. Selenium and uranium are also natural in this geology and concentrate further down-valley. Municipal customers aren't off the hook either: 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 Sterling job with a real on-site analysis and design from the results — including the higher hardness and higher service flow that rural and agricultural properties typically need.

Arsenic and other heavy metals from the alluvial aquifer
Hardness, iron, and manganese
Nitrates from irrigated agricultural runoff
Selenium and uranium (natural in this geology)
Disinfection byproducts in older distribution systems
Lead and copper from older galvanized plumbing

Well water filtration system installed in a South Platte Valley home

How Water Works helps

Treatment designed around what your water actually contains

For most Sterling 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 high nitrates usually need a pre-filter 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, and arsenic filtration
UV disinfection for bacteria
Annual testing and ongoing service

Sterling water treatment FAQs

Is Sterling's tap water safe to drink?

Sterling draws most of its water from the South Platte alluvial aquifer and a surface water treatment plant on the river — both treated and tested before it reaches your tap. 'Safe to drink' by regulatory standards and 'good to drink' at your kitchen sink are not the same thing. Hardness, nitrates, arsenic, and trace metals from older household plumbing can all show up in water that technically passes testing. The only way to know what yours contains is a real on-site analysis.

What contaminants are most common in Sterling well water?

Northeastern Colorado wells in the South Platte alluvial aquifer commonly test high for hardness, iron, and manganese, with arsenic and nitrates appearing often enough to matter. We've also seen selenium and uranium in wells drawing from the same geology, sulfur-reducing bacteria in wells with long residence times, and lead leached from older galvanized plumbing in homes built before the 1990s. A proper water analysis tells you which of these your well actually has.

How often should I test my water in Sterling?

At least once a year for any private well — and more often if you've ever had a positive result, if your area has known nitrate or arsenic issues, or if your water changes in taste, smell, or color. After flooding, after heavy irrigation season, or after any work on the well or plumbing, test before you drink it. Municipal customers in Sterling should test at the tap every few years to catch plumbing-related contamination the utility doesn't see, especially in older homes.

Do Sterling homes really need a water softener?

Hard water is the rule in the South Platte Valley, not the exception. You'll see it as spotting on glassware, scale on faucets and shower glass, and shortened lifespans for water heaters and dishwashers. 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 too, but they don't actually remove the minerals.

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

Yes. Water Works covers Logan County, the South Platte Valley, and the surrounding northeastern Colorado communities — Iliff, Merino, Atwood, Padroni, Peetz, Fleming, Crook, and the rural areas between. Our service techs run routes across the region, and on-site well testing and system installation are routine work for our crews, including on acreages and in agricultural settings where water use and hardness run higher than average.

Get a free water analysis in Sterling

Find out what's actually in your water — well, river-fed, 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