Archuleta County, Colorado: septic system inspection at sale
Checked on November 9, 2026 against the official rule. Rule set by Archuleta County Water Quality Department.
General information, not legal advice. This is our summary of the official rule as we read it. The ordinance or code and the health department decide: confirm with them before you list, sign or close.
The rule
| Question | What the official text says |
|---|---|
| What is required | Certified third-party OWTS inspection (NAWT), report submitted to county Water Quality Dept, which issues an Acceptance Document; tank may need pumping Source: archuletacounty.gov |
| Triggered by | sale / transfer of title of property served by an OWTS Source: archuletacounty.gov |
| Deadline | before transfer is completed; application at least two weeks before expected closing Source: archuletacounty.gov |
| Who arranges it | seller Source: archuletacounty.gov |
| How long a report is valid | Acceptance Document valid 12 months; inspection report must be from the last 12 months Source: archuletacounty.gov |
| Exemptions |
Source: archuletacounty.gov |
| Fee | $115 acceptance fee (2024 guide fee schedule) Source: archuletacounty.gov |
| If the system fails | Owner applies for permit to repair/expand; minor repairs need no permit; Conditional Acceptance Document (buyer agrees in writing to inspect/repair) available for snow/frozen ground; notarized conditional TOT agreements Source: archuletacounty.gov |
| Who may inspect | NAWT. official list (archuletacounty.gov) Source: archuletacounty.gov |
| Official forms | archuletacounty.gov Source: archuletacounty.gov |
| In force since | 2019-01 Source: archuletacounty.gov |
This is our summary of the official rule as we read it. The ordinance or code and the health department decide: confirm with them before you list, sign or close. Rule set by: Archuleta County Water Quality Department.
In force since 2019-01 (as the official text states).
Checked on November 9, 2026: read on the official site.
Published costs
What the official fee schedule or guide for Archuleta County says, with the year it applies to. The other 7 items published in Colorado are listed for comparison; they are different items, so we do not average them.
| Jurisdiction | Item | Amount | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archuleta County (this rule) | transfer acceptance fee | $115 | 2024 | archuletacounty.gov |
| La Plata County | Continued Use Permit fee | $120 | 2026 | cms9files.revize.com |
| Gunnison County | Transfer of Title application fee | $60 | 2026 | gunnisoncounty.org |
| Boulder County | Property Transfer Certificate fee | $500 | 2026 | bouldercounty.gov |
| Clear Creek County | Use Permit fee | $100 | 2026 | co.clear-creek.co.us |
| Pueblo County | health-department inspection incl. pumping coordination | $385 | 2026 | pueblocounty.gov |
| Pueblo County | review fee when certified inspector's report submitted | $140 | 2026 | pueblocounty.gov |
Inspectors, pumpers and labs set their own prices on top of these; the official source is the one that counts.
Compared with other Colorado rules
- In force since 2019: the 2nd oldest of the 5 Colorado local rules whose start year we could read (tied with 2 others from the same year). Oldest: Boulder County (2008), Archuleta County (2019), Gunnison County (2019).
Our census of official rules, checked November 9, 2026; start dates as the official text states them.
Private wells in Archuleta County
In 2015 about 3,762 of Archuleta County’s 12,352 residents (30%) got their drinking water from a private well, by the USGS estimate. That is the 21st highest share of the 64 Colorado counties in the USGS table, and the 22nd highest number of private-well users.
As we read it, this rule covers the septic system, not the well.
Source: USGS county water use 2015 (Dieter et al., 2018). Ranks count the Colorado counties in the USGS table (1 = highest).
Certified labs nearest to Archuleta County for a well water test
Labs on the Colorado certified drinking-water list that the list marks as taking samples from homeowners or outside clients, certified for coliform bacteria, nearest first. All of them are outside Archuleta County.
| Lab | Town | Distance | Certified on the list for |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Plata County Water Quality Laboratory | Durango, CO | 45 miles (approx.) | coliform bacteria |
| Sangre De Cristo Laboratory | Alamosa, CO | 70 miles (approx.) | coliform bacteria, nitrate, arsenic |
Source: CDPHE Drinking Water Lab Certifications (Looker Studio report on cdphe.colorado.gov/dwlabs) (Live report, no edit date shown; data read by the report at 2026-11-02 20:39 UTC (Looker Studio dataTimestamp); read November 2, 2026). Straight-line distance from the centre of Archuleta County (the average of its Census ZIP-area points); “approx.” = lab placed at its ZIP centre. Call the lab first: lists do not say which household tests each lab takes or what it charges.
Nearest other sale-time rules
Buying or selling near a county line? These are the closest other local rules in our census to Archuleta County.
| Rule | State | Distance | Covers | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Plata County | Colorado | about 42 miles | Septic system | November 9, 2026 |
| Gunnison County | Colorado | about 105 miles | Septic system | November 9, 2026 |
| Pueblo County | Colorado | about 152 miles | Septic system | November 9, 2026 |
| Teller County | Colorado | about 158 miles | Septic system | November 9, 2026 |
| Summit County | Colorado | about 177 miles | Septic system | November 9, 2026 |
Straight-line distance between county centres (the average of each county’s Census ZIP-area points). Townships, villages and health districts are placed at the centre of their county.