What Colorado actually requires for your well — and what it means for your property
Colorado water law is older than the state itself, and it varies by basin, aquifer, and county in ways that catch property owners off guard. This section breaks down the rules that apply to rural wells in southern Colorado — permits, water rights, metering, abandonment, and septic separation — one topic at a time. Start with what's relevant to your situation and follow the links that apply.
- National Ground Water Association
- Colorado Water Well Contractors Association
- Bonded & insured
- Free estimates and project quotes
Why this gets confusing
The rules aren't the same everywhere — and they change when you cross certain lines
Southern Colorado sits across two major river basins with different water law frameworks, and the county adds its own layer on top of state rules. Most people don't know which set applies to them until something goes wrong.
What's in this section
Pick the topic that matches where you are
Each page below covers one piece of the regulatory picture. They're written for property owners, not attorneys — plain language, real requirements, no filler.
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Which basin you're in and why it matters
The Arkansas Basin and Rio Grande Basin operate under different frameworks. What's allowed under one set of rules may require an augmentation plan under the other. Start here if you're not sure which applies to your land.
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Well permits — domestic and household-use-only
Not all residential well permits are the same. A domestic permit and a household-use-only permit have different allowed uses and different obligations. Knowing which you have — or need — changes what you can legally do with the water.
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Exempt vs. non-exempt wells and metering
Most rural residential wells are exempt from administration under the priority system, but that exemption has limits. Metering requirements layer on top of that, and in some basins they're mandatory regardless of exempt status.
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Water rights when you buy or sell property
Water rights are real property in Colorado, but they're not always attached to the land the way you'd expect. This covers what to look for in a purchase, how to look up an existing permit, and what's required when ownership changes.
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Septic — setbacks, permits, and Regulation 43
Colorado's OWTS Regulation 43 sets baseline requirements for septic systems statewide, but individual counties administer permits and often add their own standards. Setbacks between a well and a septic system fall under both layers.
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Hauled water, cisterns, and well abandonment
Properties without a permitted well aren't outside the regulatory picture. Rules apply to hauled water delivery and storage cisterns, and separately to wells being taken out of service permanently.
Water Works Plus works supply-side only — from the well to the building — and does not drill wells, handle interior plumbing, or represent clients in water court proceedings.
How to use this section
Figure out what applies to you before you talk to anyone
Most permit and rights questions can be narrowed down significantly before you pick up the phone — which makes any conversation with a contractor, engineer, or attorney more useful and less expensive.
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Find out which basin your property is in
The Arkansas Basin and Rio Grande Basin have different rules, and the divide between them runs through the area we serve. Start with the basin pages to know which framework applies. This costs nothing and takes about five minutes.
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Look up your existing well permit
Colorado's well permit database is public. Your permit number tells you what type of well it is, what uses are allowed, and whether there are any conditions or metering requirements attached. If you're buying, look it up before you close.
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Understand what your permit type allows
Domestic permits and household-use-only permits look similar but aren't interchangeable. The permitted uses, the acreage requirements, and the obligations differ. Reading your permit type is the cheapest thing on this list.
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Check local county requirements on top of state rules
Septic permits, setbacks, and cistern rules all have a county layer. The state sets minimums; counties can and often do go further. If you're in one of the seven counties we serve, the county-specific pages cover what applies locally.
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Get a free estimate before committing to any work
Once you understand the regulatory picture, you have a real conversation to have about what work is needed. We offer free estimates and project quotes, and we'll tell you plainly if what you need is outside what we do.
Free estimates and project quotes, no obligation — call (719) 859-1148 or use the contact form.
- Free estimates — we quote after we diagnose
- One year on labor and materials
- Colorado License #1447
Why the cheap answer is safe to give
We can afford to tell you it is the cheap part
Not because we are nicer than the next outfit. Because of how this business is built — and all three of these are checkable.
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No rig to keep busy
A drilling rig is the most expensive thing a water contractor can own, and it has to stay working to pay for itself. We do not own one. A new well is not on our list of answers, because we could not drill it if we wanted to.
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We are a dealer, not a manufacturer
Authorized dealer — that is where the five-year equipment warranty comes from. We do not build pumps and we do not carry a quota on them. A pump we talk you out of costs us nothing.
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A wrong diagnosis comes back to us
One year on labor and materials means we are the ones who drive back out if the fix does not hold. Guessing expensive is not only dishonest here — it is expensive for us.
None of that is a claim about our character. You do not have to take our word for any of it — the license, the association memberships and the warranty terms are all verifiable, and they are the same on paper as they are on this page.
Questions we get asked
Before you call
Yes, significantly. The two major frameworks in southern Colorado are the Arkansas Basin and the Rio Grande Basin, and they operate under different rules. The Rio Grande in particular has subdistricts and augmentation requirements that don't exist on the Arkansas side. County requirements add another layer on top.
A domestic well permit typically allows water use for a household, irrigation of a limited area, and watering of livestock. A household-use-only permit is more restricted — generally no irrigation, no livestock. Which one your property has affects what you can legally do with the water.
It depends on your basin and, in some cases, your subdistrict. Metering is mandatory for many wells in the Rio Grande Basin, including exempt domestic wells in some subdistricts. On the Arkansas Basin side, requirements vary. The well metering page goes through this in more detail.
Pull the well permit number and look it up in the state database before closing. Confirm the permit is valid, the type matches the intended use, and that ownership is properly recorded. Separately, check whether water rights are included in the sale and whether they're decreed. The water rights and permit lookup pages cover both.
Colorado requires that inactive wells be properly plugged and abandoned according to state standards. An unplugged well sitting on your property is your liability as the current owner, regardless of who drilled it. The abandonment page explains what's required.
The state sets a minimum separation distance, but counties in our service area often require more. The required setback also depends on the type of septic component — the tank, the leach field, and any distribution lines each have their own distances. The setbacks page walks through how the state and county rules layer.
Yes. Both the water source and the storage need to meet state standards, and depending on your county, there may be additional local requirements. The hauled water and cisterns page covers what applies in southern Colorado.
Water Works Plus has no drilling rig, which means we have no financial reason to tell you that you need a new well. When we look at a water system problem, we're not steering you toward the most expensive outcome. That's the position we hold, and it's worth knowing when you're sorting through advice.
If you've read through what applies to your property and still have questions, call us at (719) 859-1148 — answered 24 hours Monday through Saturday. Call (719) 859-1148
Before you call
Have this ready and the conversation goes faster
You don't need to have everything sorted out — that's what the call is for. But a few pieces of information help us point you in the right direction quickly.
- Your well permit number. It's usually on a tag at the wellhead or in your property documents. If you don't have it, the well permit lookup page shows you how to find it in the state database by address.
- Which county the property is in. Permit requirements and septic rules vary by county. Knowing yours — Las Animas, Huerfano, Costilla, Alamosa, Conejos, Pueblo, or Custer — lets us tell you what the local layer looks like.
- What's been going on with the system. Low pressure, inconsistent flow, water you're not sure is safe, a system you've never had looked at — any of it is a fine starting point. You don't need a diagnosis before you call.
- Whether you're buying, already own, or dealing with an existing problem. The questions are different depending on where you are in the process, and knowing that upfront helps us give you the right information first.
We're 75 miles out from Weston, licensed in Colorado (#1447), and we've been doing this for over 15 years — we've seen most of what comes up in this area.
Tell us what the water is doing.
We’ll tell you what it usually turns out to be, what it will take to confirm it, and what it costs — before we touch anything.
Call (719) 859-1148Answering 24 hours a day, Monday through Saturday
- Colorado License #1447 · bonded and insured
- One year on labor and materials, five on equipment
- Free estimates and project quotes — we quote after we diagnose
- NGWA and Colorado Water Well Contractors Association
Or have us call you back
If you are on bad signal or would rather not talk right now.