Laramie
Laramie, WY water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
laramie, city of
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID WY5600029
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
With about 32,158 residents, Laramie ranks as the 4th-largest city in Wyoming and a small but growing city. Water in Laramie is sourced chiefly from Colorado & Missouri headwaters and snowpack, the backbone of Wyoming's supply.
The defining water pressure here mirrors the state's: colorado river. A headwaters state with Colorado River obligations and irrigation-dominated use.
Statewide, Wyoming recycles about 3% of its wastewater with minimal reuse programs. Locally, Laramie faces severe to extreme drought conditions.
The Wyoming state profile covers the regional supply outlook; the issues below detail what's driving Laramie's water future.
Albany County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~32,158 (4th-largest in Wyoming)
- Primary sources: Colorado & Missouri headwaters and snowpack
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~3% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Wyoming in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Laramie?
Laramie's largest water system, LARAMIE, CITY OF, serves about 32,395 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 1.3 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Laramie get its water?
LARAMIE, CITY OF draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Wyoming's supply from Colorado & Missouri headwaters, snowpack.
Related water issues
Colorado River
The river that supplies 40 million people has lost roughly a fifth of its flow since 2000, forcing a renegotiation of how seven states share the water.
ExploreAgricultural Demand
Agriculture accounts for the majority of consumptive water use in the West, making farm efficiency and water markets central to any supply solution.
ExploreDrought
Much of the American West is in a multi-decade dry period that researchers describe as the most severe in over a millennium, reshaping how communities plan for water.
Explore