COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Colorado Springs Utilities announced the South Suburban Reservoir in the Stratton Open Space will permanently close to public access due to water quality concerns related to drinking water safety.
The utility used Richard Skorman in a video to explain the decision to close the reservoir, which is located north of The Broadmoor.
Officials cited E. coli contamination, PFAS, and microplastics as primary concerns after discovering nearly 1,000 dog toys during cleanup efforts in 2020 and 2024. The reservoir stores raw, untreated drinking water for the community.
"There are water quality concerns when it comes to drinking water after a lot of dog toys were pulled out of the reservoir, and the main concern is E. coli," according to the announcement.
The reservoir has been drained since April for repairs and is expected to refill next spring. However, public access will not be restored when the facility reopens.
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