.jpg)
After one inspection year ends, another starts, and the new Inspection Year 2026 (IY26) started on October 1, 2025 and will end on September 30, 2026. A total of 555 sanitary surveys are planned for IY26. The list of suppliers included in the IY26 sanitary survey plan takes into consideration a number of factors including:
- Last sanitary survey date and EPA required frequency for sanitary surveys - community water systems are required to have a sanitary survey every 3 years, non-community systems are required to have a sanitary survey every 5 years.
- Recently activated public water systems are prioritized for sanitary survey.
- Other conditions or concerns may also lead to a prioritized sanitary survey.
Please note that if your system is due for a sanitary survey, your inspector will be reaching out to you to schedule the survey anytime during the IY26 inspection year (October - September), and that the scheduling is not based on the date of the previous inspection (i.e., will not be in March or after March every 3 years).
The Field Services Section also performs Level 2 assessments or Level 2 sanitary surveys as they are triggered under the Total Coliform Rule. Level 2 assessments are triggered by either an E. coli MCL violation or two Level 1 assessment situations occurring within 12 consecutive months. Level 2 assessments are site visits that include review and identification of atypical events that could affect distributed water quality or indicate that distributed water quality was impaired. Items also evaluated include changes in distribution system maintenance and operation, including water storage, that could affect distributed water quality, source and treatment considerations that affect distributed water quality, existing water quality monitoring data, and inadequacies in sample sites, sampling protocol, and sample processing. Level 2 sanitary surveys (L2SS) are a combination of the Level 2 assessment and a sanitary survey. Level 2 assessments/sanitary surveys must be performed within 30 days of the date of issuance of the violation that triggered the Level 2 assessment. More information on Level 2 assessments can be found in Regulation 11.16 - the Total Coliform Rule. Thankfully, due to Colorado’s disinfection requirements and the great work by our operators, we had only four (4) L2SS occur in IY25, and typically we experience under five (5) of these events a year. Compared to other states that do not require a minimum disinfection concentration in the distribution system, this number is very low.
Field Services recommends that suppliers take advantage of the free sanitary survey preparation course from the Local Assistance Unit. Operators who participate will receive 0.3 training units. The training provides concrete steps for your system to prepare for your next sanitary survey including:
The ability to recognize, address, and eliminate potential violations and system deficiencies
Actions to take to address potential violations and system deficiencies before your survey
If you are interested in this FREE training, please visit this document and click on the date that you would like to attend and fill out the associated registration form. Please reach out to cdphe.wqdwtraining@state.co.us with any questions or feedback, or if you do not receive an invitation email.
For any questions or concerns about sanitary surveys, please email our Field Services team at cdphe_wqcd_fss_questions@state.co.us. We look forward to working with you on your next sanitary survey, and thank you for all your efforts to protect public health!
