
Published: Mar. 28, 2025 at 10:30 AM CDT
Watch the video on the KRDO 13 website.
Porch Light Health spoke with KRDO 13 about recent spikes of nearly 50% increases in fentanyl found in wastewater over the past month.
KRDO 13
Pueblo police are investigating two possible fentanyl overdose deaths that happened today within one hour span. Comes after public health officials are seeing a rise in the deadly drug in wastewater. Car radio 13’s Emily Coffee is live at the Wastewater Treatment Plant to explain what public health officials are saying about the rise of fentanyl use in that city.
Emily Coffey
This wastewater plant here behind me gathers month-over-month data on fentanyl use across the city. Right now, they’re seeing a nearly 50% spike in fentanyl detection in the wastewater.
Bianca Hicks (Pueblo Police Department)
We have received reports of two possible fentanyl overdose deaths in the last hour, hour and a half. Unfortunately, we have seen a slight increase in fentanyl cases from this time this year compared with this time last year.
KRDO 13
Pueblo Police Department and Addictions Counselors are sounding the alarm on a rise of the dangerous and deadly drug fentanyl.
Christina Sandoval (Porch Light Health)
You’re going to shove it up their just like this, and you’re going to spray.
KRDO 13
That’s Christina Sandoval, a nurse practitioner that works with people struggling with addiction in Pueblo.
Christina Sandoval (Porch Light Health)
Things are changing. We’re now hearing it’s more powder, and now we’re being told that they’re releasing the grow in with it.
KRDO 13
Health officials say from a national perspective, Pueblo has double the national average of fentanyl in its wastewater.
PDPHE
It is alarming because fentanyl is highly toxic when used illicitly. And we know that 2 milligrams of fentanyl is what can result in a fatal overdose.
Emily Coffey
Yeah, right now, it’s not totally clear how all of this data is related or why we’re seeing a sudden uptick in fentanyl detection in wastewater. Pueblo police tells me that while their fentanyl crime stats are up, the rest of the crime stats for the city are down. Reporting live in Pueblo, Emily Coffey, CARDEO 13.





