Compounds of Emerging Concern

Working Together to Monitor Drinking Water

The Northern Colorado Compounds of Emerging Concern Program (CEC Program) is a collaborative effort initiated in 2008 to take a cost-effective and proactive approach to monitor the presence and concentration of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, hormones, pesticides and other compounds of concern in the Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) and Windy Gap projects and other source waters of interest associated with drinking water supplies in Northern Colorado. 

The program monitors contaminants from a variety of sources including municipal wastewater, industrial waste, runoff from lawns and agriculture, recreation and stormwater runoff. Monitoring is conducted biennially at more than 20 sampling locations. In years when regular monitoring is not conducted, funds are used to support special studies and program development.

Northern Water partners with the cities of Fort Collins, Boulder, Longmont, Loveland, Broomfield, Greeley and the Town of Estes Park, to share the annual program costs of approximately $150,000.

Compounds of Emerging Concern Monitoring Program
Emerging contaminants sampling

Protecting Our Water Together

We are proactively monitoring compounds that are not currently regulated to stay ahead of emerging concerns and evolving science. This forward-looking approach helps identify potential risks early and supports our commitment to protecting source water and maintaining a safe, reliable, high-quality drinking water supply for our communities.

Everyone can play a role in protecting water quality by minimizing herbicide and pesticide use, properly disposing of household hazardous waste, avoiding flushing unused medications, and choosing products with natural ingredients when possible. Together, these actions help safeguard our water resources for future generations.

Program Objectives

  • Monitor current conditions, trends and changes in water quality
  • Assess water quality impacts from adverse events such as floods and wildfires
  • Collect data to support the assessment of regulatory issues
  • Maintain a high-quality water supply by providing a long-term, reliable dataset to support source water protection measures
  • Maintain a robust and evolving list of compounds

Why Proactive 
Actions Matter

  • Proactive steps to monitor and raise awareness of compounds in our water supply help ensure the water we use is kept clean and safe. 
  • Our source water watersheds are among our most valuable natural resources. Let's work together to keep them healthy and protected.
  • Doing our part to monitor the water supply allows us to be responsible neighbors to downstream water users who will eventually use our water supply.