"Colorado officials are failing to require legally mandated water quality monitoring near concentrated animal feeding operations, allowing for widespread water contamination with animal waste, conservation groups allege in a new legal challenge to the state.
The Center for Biological Diversity and Food & Water Watch say the state permits for the animal feeding operations, commonly called CAFOs, lack the type of water monitoring needed near lagoons where massive amounts of animal manure and waste are stored.
The situation amounts to “an ongoing attack on public health and wildlife,” according to Center for Biological Diversity senior attorney Hannah Connor.
CAFO waste can contaminate water with bacteria like E. coli, antibiotics and hormones, heavy metals and excess nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, all of which can be harmful to human and environmental health. A report released last week found that industrial animal farming is responsible for about half of all of the country’s nutrient pollution."
Brian Bienkowski reports for The New Lede February 10, 2026.
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