GLENDALE— Shuttering the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's water testing laboratory — after a second chemist was placed on leave amid allegations of manipulating data — will cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars and could result in layoffs.
Denver7 Investigates learned that a senior leader who failed to escalate concerns raised over the first chemist who was found to manipulate data stepped down from their position late last year.
“Knowing that it might involve a second individual in the laboratory is what led us to say the best thing we can do right now to assure our public responsibility is to suspend testing in the water chemistry lab,” CDPHE Chief Medical Officer Ned Calonge said.
The state is expanding its investigation into what happened at the lab, according to Calonge, and has shut down water testing. Denver7 Investigates learned that the shutdown could last for a year.
So far, Calonge said CDPHE has spent $93,000 on the investigation and is contracted to spend $397,000.
As for the nine people working in that lab, Calonge said the department is working to reassign as many workers as possible, but said that layoffs are a possibility.
“We are looking at our options for these employees,” he said. “At this point, unless we reassign them, there aren't additional activities for those individuals to do.”
- Chief Investigative Reporter Tony Kovaleski breaks down his reporting in the video player below
In mid-November 2024, Denver7 Investigates was the first to obtain and report on a third-party review that showed a CDPHE chemist with the state laboratory’s water testing program appeared to have intentionally manipulated data dating back to 2020.
According to that review, the issue was discovered in December 2023, but no action was taken until February 2024 when the chemist was placed on leave, and the Environmental Protection Agency was not informed until April. The chemist resigned in May.
Roughly six weeks after that report, a second chemist was placed on leave amid manipulation accusations and the department paused water testing at the lab. CDPHE has said "there is no evidence of an imminent threat to public health."
Denver7 Investigates learned through an open records request that the first chemist tested 8,570 samples between 2020 and 2024, including 1,023 drinking water samples.
The CDPHE tests water across the state — including for homes — for different contaminants, which include metals, disinfection byproducts and radiochemical contaminants, among other things. According to the CDPHE, 69 of the state's 2,400-plus systems are impacted by the data manipulation. Calonge told Denver7 Investigates that CDPHE handles less than 3% of the state’s water systems for these tests.
- Watch Denver7 Investigates' Tony Kovaleski ask about accountability within the CDPHE in the video below
Calonge told Denver7 Investigates this week that the manager who failed to report data manipulation suspicions left the department in November 2024. When asked if that employee worked to keep the data manipulation quiet, Calonge said he couldn't comment.
"All I know is that the person did not bring the information to the lab director's attention," he said. "I would say that was an unfortunate decision to not bring this to the laboratory director's attention."
Denver7 Investigates first learned of this alleged data manipulation through an informed source, who wished to remain anonymous but was outraged at the state’s lack of transparency.
When Denver7 Investigates first spoke to Calonge after this initial incident, he said the department's leadership ultimately takes responsibility for what happened. He said CDPHE did not immediately release information about the first chemist's alleged mishandling because it could have caused unnecessary panic about the safety of the water.
The delay was also due in part to communication breakdowns, a “culture of fear” within the agency and a reluctance to report issues, according to a third-party review.
- Watch our previous reporting below
Impacted water systems include:
- Strasburg Sanitation and Water District
- Country Gardens MHP
- Rolling Plains Estates
- Travois HOA
- Town of Pritchett
- Princeton Estates Subdivision
- Trail West Association
- 96 Pipeline Co Inc.
- Rogers Mesa Domestic Water Company
- Sunshine Mesa Domestic WC
- Castle Pines North Metro District
- Cottonwood WSD
- Chatfield South Water Dist C/O CRS of Colorado
- Grandview MHP
- Peyton Pines Filing #4 Water Association Inc.
- Prairie Estates
- Town of Brookside OF
- Town of Rockvale
- Panorama Ranches HOA
- Wooden Deer HOA
- Consolidated Mutual Water Co.
- Town of Haswell
- Town of Bethune
- Town of Vona
- Windcliff POA
- Glacier View Meadows W and SA
- Carter Lake N and S WTP
- Town of Aguilar
- Town of Brandon
- Pinon Water and Sanitation District
- Santa Fe Trail Ranch Metro
- Town of Starkville
- Karval Water Users Inc.
- Limon Correctional Facility, Environmental
- Buffalo Hills RV Park
- Gateway Canyons (RDR Property Services LLC)
- Hidden Valley Water (RDR Property Services LLC)
- Town of Nucla
- Project 7 Water Authority
- Town of Cheraw
- Fayette Water Company
- Town of Manzanola
- Patterson Valley Water Company
- South Side Water Association
- Valley Water Company
- Vroman Water Company
- West Grand Valley Water
- Pitkin Iron HOA
- Oneal Water
- Morrison Creek Water and Sanitation District
- Mountain Mutual Water Company
- Inverness Water and Sanitation District
- Cherry Valley Elementary School
- Franktown Elementary School
- Sierra Middle School
- Castlewood Community Preschool
- U.S. Department of the Army Fort Carson
- San Juan Ranch HOA
- Gateway School
- Plateau Valley School District #50
- Camp Id Ra Ha Je
- Wildwood School
- GCC Rio Grande
- Lake Pueblo State Park
- Signal Mountain Water Company
- Xcel Energy Hayden Station
- Riverbend Cabins
- Telluride Regional Airport
- Lone Star School
Certification lapsed
The EPA notified CDPHE's lab that their drinking water certification for 11 EPA chemistry methods had lapsed on Dec. 30, 2024. The lapse is effective immediately and CDPHE is prohibited from performing future drinking water analyses under these methods.
"CDPHE’s Laboratory will be required to demonstrate that the full scope of data issues have been identified and that all corrective actions have been implemented prior to seeking recertification," an EPA spokesperson said in an email. "EPA will continue to monitor, oversee, and support the Laboratory’s progress and will remain in close communication as they seek to resolve these issues."