Lead In Drinking Water In Wyoming
What residents of Wyoming need to know about lead in drinking water — including how it enters water, which utilities have documented violations, and what steps to take.
Source: EPA SDWIS, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ), CDC · Last reviewed: 2025-01-01
Quick Answer
Is lead in drinking water a real concern in Wyoming?
Yes — Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie, and Gillette have older neighborhoods with pre-1986 housing where lead solder and older service connections may be present.
Is this mostly a public-water issue, a private-well issue, or both?
Primarily household plumbing and service connections in pre-1986 homes; Wyoming's older city cores have the highest concentration of aging plumbing materials.
What is the main reason residents should care?
Wyoming's major cities developed much of their housing stock before the 1986 federal lead ban. While Wyoming's newer energy-boom development areas have lower risk, older neighborhoods in Cheyenne, Casper, and Laramie have pre-1940 construction with lead solder and aging service connections.
Key Facts
| Federal Lead Action Level | 15 µg/L — no safe level per CDC |
| City risk | Older Cheyenne, Casper, and Laramie neighborhoods — pre-1940 housing with lead solder |
| Water chemistry | Western WY snowmelt water is softer; eastern WY Plains groundwater is harder |
| Federal MCLG | Zero |
| State oversight | Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) |
Why This Matters in Wyoming
Wyoming is a low-population state with a relatively small number of public water systems, but its older cities — Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie, and Rock Springs — have city cores built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These neighborhoods have pre-1940 housing with lead service lines and lead solder at pipe joints. Wyoming's water chemistry varies by region: snowmelt-sourced water in western Wyoming tends to be softer, while eastern Wyoming groundwater from Plains aquifers tends to be harder. WDEQ enforces the Lead and Copper Rule statewide and requires utilities to complete lead service line inventories. Wyoming's smaller utility landscape means most systems are relatively well-known to regulators, but older infrastructure in established city cores still warrants attention.
Wyoming Utilities With Lead Violation Records
The utilities listed below have at least one lead violation on record in EPA's SDWIS database. Violations may be open or resolved — see individual utility pages for current status and risk level.
How Lead Gets Into Drinking Water
Lead service lines
The pipe connecting a home to the water main may be made of lead, especially in pre-1986 construction. Water sitting in these lines can accumulate lead before it reaches the tap.
Lead solder
Lead solder at pipe joints was banned for potable water systems in 1986. Homes built before that date — including significant portions of older Wyoming cities — may still have lead solder throughout their plumbing.
Older brass fixtures
Faucets, valves, and fixtures with high lead content were common before the 2014 revision of 'lead-free' standards. Replacing older fixtures at kitchen and drinking taps can meaningfully reduce exposure.
Corrosive water chemistry
Soft, acidic, or low-alkalinity water dissolves lead from plumbing more readily. Utilities use orthophosphate and other corrosion control treatments, but household plumbing after the meter is not within their control.
Who Should Pay Closest Attention
Families with young children in older Cheyenne and Casper neighborhoods should ask their utility about service line material at their address and consider a certified NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 filter as a precautionary step.
Families with children under six
Pregnant residents
Households in homes built before 1986
Renters who cannot inspect building plumbing
Residents on a confirmed lead service line
Households that had plumbing work done recently (disturbances dislodge protective scale)
How to Check Your Situation in Wyoming
- 1
Identify your water utility. Use the ZIP lookup below or browse the Wyoming utility directory on this site.
- 2
Read your utility's page on this site to see its current risk level and any open lead violations.
- 3
Contact your utility and ask for your address-level service line material status. Under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), utilities must maintain and provide this information.
- 4
Review your utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) — mailed annually or available on the utility's website.
- 5
Consider testing your tap water at a Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ)-certified lab. Your state health department or Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) maintains a list of certified labs.
- 6
If you have young children or are pregnant, install a certified NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 filter at the kitchen tap as a precautionary measure.
Treatment Options
Boiling does not remove lead. Use a certified filter for drinking and cooking water.
NSF/ANSI Standard 53 — Activated Carbon Block
Under-sink or pitcher filters certified to Standard 53 are independently verified to reduce lead. Replace filters on the manufacturer's schedule — an overdue filter may not perform as certified.
NSF/ANSI Standard 58 — Reverse Osmosis
RO systems certified to Standard 58 remove 95–99% of lead and a broad range of contaminants. Requires under-sink installation. More comprehensive than Standard 53 for households with multiple contaminant concerns.
Flushing — temporary mitigation only
EPA recommends flushing the cold tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes if water has sat in pipes for 6+ hours. Not a substitute for certified filtration or service line replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
Lead — National Overview
All U.S. utilities with lead records
Wyoming State Overview
All utilities and water quality data
Nitrate in Drinking Water
A separate but common concern
Reverse Osmosis Guide
Removes 95–99% of lead
Activated Carbon Filter Guide
NSF/ANSI 53 certified options
All Contaminants
Complete reference library
Data Sources & Provenance
All data on this page is sourced from official U.S. government or public datasets.
Find Your Utility
State Regulator
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) ↗