Colorado
Castle Rock Water in Colorado says chlorine smell tied to routine maintenance, water safe to drink
There’s something in the water in Castle Rock. Chlorine. Castle Rock Water says it’s all part of routine maintenance and the water is completely safe to drink.
CBS Colorado reporter Olivia Young tested the tap water in a Castle Rock home using a store-bought strip. She found the chlorine was 3.0 ppm. The EPA requires at least 0.2 ppm of chlorine in tap water but no more than 4.0.
Young found the pH of the tap water was around 7.6. Castle Rock Water says they keep the pH of the water between 7.5 and 8.5.
“Something’s not right within our water,” said Apres Coffee owner and Castle Rock resident Madison Vonderach.
While Vonderach says she uses a water filter at home and hasn’t noticed a difference, she says her customers have complained of a chlorine taste in their tap water.
“I have had a frequent amount of people, I would say, close to five different families, actually communicate to me that they’ve been noticing some concerns within their family’s health,” Vonderach said.
One Castle Rock resident told CBS Colorado her tap water has been making her family nauseous and giving her dog diarrhea. Another said his shower smells “like a swimming pool,” and the water has been giving him a sore throat.
“One of them in particular actually shared with me at some point that their wife fell ill and their animal fell ill,” Vonderach said. “Headaches and the stomach bug.”
“The water is safe to drink, but we make this transition to clean up the pipes,” said Castle Rock Water Director Mark Marlowe.
Marlowe says there is chlorine in the water, and that’s a good thing.
“Chlorine has been used for over a century in drinking water to disinfect it and keep it safe,” said Marlowe. “Disinfecting drinking water has been one of the most important achievements of public health in the history of the world, really. So it’s a very important thing.”
Marlowe says water utilities are required by state and federal laws to have a low level of chlorine in their water as a disinfectant. In 2013, Castle Rock Water switched from using chlorine to chloramine as a disinfectant.
“It’s chlorine plus ammonia that creates chloramines, and that’s what we typically use,” said Marlowe.
But Marlowe says when a certain type of biofilm develops on the pipes, chlorine needs to be used, so they’re making a temporary switch back.
“Lots of utilities will make this transition from chloramines to chlorine just to do maintenance on the system and clean that up,” said Marlowe.
Castle Rock Water warned neighbors they may notice discolored water and changes in taste and smell starting Feb. 2. Those impacts are most noticeable in the early days or in water taps closer to treatment plants.
“Down here, I haven’t tasted anything,” said T.A. Ike, assistant general manager at Wide Awake Eatery in downtown Castle Rock.
“The bottom line is, water is safe to drink,” said Marlowe. “There’s no danger to public health.”
Castle Rock Water says chlorine at the current level should not cause digestive or other health issues, and that anyone experiencing health issues should consult a doctor.
Castle Rock Water will switch back to chloramine in May.
This is the first time the utility has had to do maintenance like this. They anticipate having to do so again in the future, but it could be anywhere from four to 10-plus years before it is necessary.
“The bottom line is they should not notice anything really going forward, except maybe a slight smell of chlorine,” said Marlowe. “You get used to your water, and you’ll stop noticing it, quite frankly.”
If Castle Rock neighbors are testing the water at home and seeing chlorine levels above 4.0, or if they have other concerns, Marlowe says they should contact Castle Rock Water. They can come test the water and make sure everything is okay.
“Call us if you have any concerns, if you think that there’s something that you need someone to look at, have us come out and test the water. We’re very responsive. We’ll be out there right away,” said Marlowe. “We just encourage people to give us a call. We’re friendly here. We like to talk to our customers, and we’d be happy to go out and meet with them and help them understand what we’ve done and explain everything to them.”
Community members can visit CRgov.com/WaterQuality for additional details. Customers with questions can contact Castle Rock Water at 720-733-6000 or by email at Water@CRgov.com.
Other solutions neighbors can try are to buy a water filter. Most Brita-type filters can reduce the level of chlorine and improve taste. Marlowe says neighbors can also leave water out for 24 hours, and most of the chlorine will dissipate.
Colorado
Colorado community reels after police say driver with revoked license hits three pedestrians, killing one
A man already driving with a suspended license from a DUI is now accused of intentionally plowing into three people on a sidewalk in Colorado.
This happened near the intersection of East Wildcat Reserve Parkway and Willowbridge Way in Highlands Ranch around 10:30 a.m. Monday.
Witnesses say that after the crash, the driver made a U-turn, went back to the scene, slowly drove past the wreckage, then left. That allowed another witness to follow him 5.5 miles down to Daniels Park, where just 15 minutes later, 28-year-old Adam Bauserman was taken into custody.
Bauserman’s demeanor was described by deputies as “unusually quiet.” At one point, he apparently asked, “Do you know if I killed the man?”
As it would turn out, the man survived, but his girlfriend did not. Flowers are piling up at the scene of a morning walk that turned deadly.
Right now, investigators don’t believe the driver knew any of those victims.
“You expect to be safe when you’re walking on the sidewalk,” said neighbor Beth Chitel, who lived just yards from the crash site until she moved last month. “These are very highly trafficked pathways around here; it could have happened to any of our friends, any of our neighbors, any of our children.”
“This was a horrific scene,” said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly.
Thirty-five-year-old Corrine More died in the crash. Her sister tells CBS Colorado she lived in the neighborhood and was out on a walk with her boyfriend. She describes Corrine as a nursing student with a big heart who was loved by everyone who knew her, and who was beautiful inside and out.
Corrine’s boyfriend, 30-year-old Kyle Vasey, was seriously injured. He has undergone multiple surgeries and was described by a doctor in the affidavit as being at substantial risk for permanent disfigurement or death.
The other victim is 72-year-old Dianne Windes. The sheriff says she was walking in the opposite direction from the couple. She was also hospitalized with serious injuries.
Witnesses believe the driver who crashed into the three pedestrians did so on purpose.
“If we can prove that, we’ll certainly do that, but at this point we have no indication of that,” Weekly said.
It was thanks to a witness who followed that truck that deputies arrested Bauserman, who was driving with a revoked license after a DUI last year.
“Mr. Bauserman has had several revocations and suspensions of his license over the last 10 years,” Weekly said. “He should never have been on the roadway, and as a result of that, somebody is now deceased.”
Deputies did not detect immediate signs of intoxication but are waiting on blood test results.
Right now, investigators believe Bauserman was only traveling 3 mph over the speed limit, at about 48 mph in a 45 mph zone. That will need to be confirmed in the investigation.
“He should never have been on the roadway, period. And so, the fact that somebody in our community has been lost in such a tragic, horrible way. How many lives have been destroyed by this selfish act?” Weekly asked.
“I want to express my sympathies to the families, and yeah, we’re here to support you as a community, and we’re by your side,” said Chitel.
Neighbor Beth Chitel started an online fundraiser for the victims.
“The last thing that the family should be having to worry about right now is the bills that are coming,” said Chitel.
The sheriff says that 15 to 20 community members stepped up to help in the aftermath of this tragedy.
Chitel says the community has been hurt by other recent tragedies, like the death of 13-year-old Alex Mackiewicz, who was hit while in the crosswalk on his way to school. That fatal crash happened just over a mile away from this one.
“Something really needs to be done. The community is well aware of the safety issues posed there, of course. Again, we don’t expect them on the sidewalk,” said Chitel. “We need more crosswalks; we could use more stoplights. We need more safety measures put in place because, in general, it’s really not a safe road. People speed on it.”
“It’s absolutely horrible. As the sheriff, I have done a lot to increase traffic enforcement. We’ve almost doubled the size of our traffic unit. I expect my folks to be out there and be productive and ensure the safety of our citizens. These tragedies, certainly back to back, are heartbreaking for everybody involved, it shouldn’t happen,” Weekly said.
Three families are forever changed, a community is left with questions, and the investigation is just beginning.
“We need to make sure that we do our job well, and that we get justice for all these victims,” Weekly said.
Bauserman is being held on charges including vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
Preliminary charges Bauserman is facing include the following seven felonies and one misdemeanor:
- Vehicular homicide
- Failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving death
- Failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury (two counts)
- Vehicular assault (two counts)
- Assault in the second degree – crimes to at-risk persons
- Driving a motor vehicle with a license is under restraint (express consent refusal/DUI conviction)
These charges could change based on the results of the blood tests and additional information that is garnered through the investigation.
A judge set Bauserman’s bond at $100,000.
As the investigation continues, the sheriff’s office says anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Detective Pereira at bpereira@dcsheriff.net or call (303) 660-7537.
Colorado
Eagle Rock Ranch
When Dave and Jean Gottenborg met as teenagers wrangling horses in Estes Park, they dreamed of one day running a ranch together. That dream fell by the wayside for decades until 2012, when the couple purchased Eagle Rock Ranch in the Tarryall Valley.
Talking about the Gottenborg’s ranch means deliberately avoiding words like “owners” and “ownership.” The couple “manage” their land — their preferred term — through the conservationist lens of thinkers like Wendell Berry and Aldo Leopold. Visitors are welcome on the land (see some basic guidelines here), and they sell their beef by the cut, box and share at their family-owned mercantile in Fairplay.
Colorado
Where to watch Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels: TV channel, start time, streaming for Jun. 02
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Tuesday as the Colorado Rockies visit the Los Angeles Angels.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels?
First pitch between the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, Jun. 02.
How to watch Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for Jun. 02 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
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