The Power of Information

National Drinking Water Database


Illinois

1,765 systems serving 13,084,369 people

This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by water utilities in Illinois, provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. It is part of EWG's national database that includes 47,667 drinking water utilities and 20 million test results from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants between 2004 and 2009. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated, legal in any amount. Despite this widespread contamination, the federal government invests few resources in protecting rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater from pollution in the first place. The information below summarizes drinking water quality for this state.



 
Chemicals
Water Utilities
Population Served
Detected Chemicals
101
1,765
13,083,669
Exceed health guidelines*
63
1,756
13,082,056
Exceed Legal Limits*
38
816
4,474,868
Unregulated chemicals detected
23
491
6,374,140
* Water utilities are noted as exceeding the legal limit if any test is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Most MCLs are based on annual averages so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance.

63 Contaminants Exceeding Health Based Limits

Contaminants detected in Illinois drinking water above health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities

Contaminant
Population
Number of Systems
At Any Level Above Health Limits At Any Level Above Health Limits
Total haloacetic acids (HAAs)12,319,90612,319,9061,3451,345
Bromodichloromethane12,229,02012,229,0201,1951,195
Dibromochloromethane11,896,65911,883,5191,1141,112
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)12,650,18611,847,9561,4761,031
Dichloroacetic acid11,715,56711,715,5671,1691,169
Chloroform12,493,88211,399,3801,391872
Lead (total)11,228,65511,228,6551,1961,196
Radium-2268,033,4658,033,465894894
Radium-2287,960,9937,960,993871871
Combined Radium (-226 & -228)7,893,3897,893,389918918

Water Utilities in Illinois Reporting Chemicals Exceeding Health Guidelines

Water utilities in Illinois reporting chemicals exceeding health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities, include:

System
Population
Chemicals tested
Chemicals found
Chemicals exceeding
health guidelines
Rockford155,0001143620
Frankfort21,5011093319
Lakewood1,2451012919
Crystal Lake40,6341072619
Dixon16,1001082719
Lindenhurst14,6321142619
Farina600962619
St Rose Pwd1,800962419
Loves Park22,4761032618
IL American-Peoria136,0001453218
East Alton6,695953118
IL American-Terra Cotta684892118
Batavia26,348972818
Aurora171,0001013018
South Elgin14,668992818
Iola1721032718
North Park Pwd32,0001033017
Silvis6,0001012717
South Jacksonville3,645952517
Cary18,7131032217

Sources of Illinois Drinking Water Contaminants

The contaminants identified in Illinois drinking water come from a wide variety of sources, including agriculture, industry, water treatment plants, and polluted storm runoff from urban areas.

101Total Contaminants Detected (2004 - 2009)
31Agricultural Pollutants
(pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)

Nitrate, Nitrate & nitrite, Arsenic (total), Selenium (total), Nitrite, 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), Atrazine, Ethylbenzene, Dalapon, Cyanide, n-Nitrosodimethylamine, Simazine, Ethylene dibromide (EDB), 1,2-Dichloropropane, Metolachlor, p-Dichlorobenzene, Phosphorus, 2,4-D, Heptachlor epoxide, Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene), Alachlor (Lasso), Lindane, Picloram, Dicamba, Diquat, Methoxychlor, Endrin, Heptachlor, Aldicarb sulfone, Acetochlor, Trifluralin

30Sprawl and Urban Pollutants
(road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)

Nitrate, Copper, Nitrate & nitrite, Lead (total), Arsenic (total), Tetrachloroethylene, MTBE, Nitrite, Xylenes (total), Dalapon, Cadmium (total), Antimony (total), Mercury (total inorganic), Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), Cyanide, Benzene, Molybdenum, Silver (total), p-Dichlorobenzene, Methyl ethyl ketone, Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate, Phosphorus, 2,4-D, Benzo[a]pyrene, Lindane, Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Phenols, Benzo[k]fluoranthene, Trifluralin

68Industrial Pollutants

Nitrate, Nitrate & nitrite, Barium (total), Lead (total), Arsenic (total), Manganese, Radium-228, Radium-226, Alpha particle activity, Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium), Combined Radium (-226 & -228), Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L), Combined Uranium (pCi/L), Tetrachloroethylene, Trichloroethylene, Chromium (total), Combined Uranium (mg/L), Aluminum, Selenium (total), MTBE, Nitrite, Xylenes (total), cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, Chlorite, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, Vanadium, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Bromide, Carbon tetrachloride, Ethylbenzene, Toluene, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, Cadmium (total), Antimony (total), Mercury (total inorganic), Chloromethane, Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), Cyanide, Beryllium (total), Thallium (total), 1,2-Dichloroethane, n-Nitrosodimethylamine, Benzene, Molybdenum, Ethylene dibromide (EDB), 1,2-Dichloropropane, Silver (total), Tritium, Strontium, Vinyl chloride, p-Dichlorobenzene, Methyl ethyl ketone, Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate, trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene, Asbestos, Phosphorus, Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, Tetrahydrofuran, Styrene, Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene), Pentachlorophenol, Bromochloromethane, Lindane, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Phenols, N-nitrosopyrrolidine (npyr)

22Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts
(pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Total haloacetic acids (HAAs), Chloroform, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Dichloroacetic acid, Trichloroacetic acid, Bromoform, Dibromoacetic acid, Monochloroacetic acid, Monobromoacetic acid, Chlorite, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Cadmium (total), Chloromethane, n-Nitrosodimethylamine, Bromate, Vinyl chloride, Asbestos, Bromochloromethane, Benzo[a]pyrene, Benzo[k]fluoranthene

25Naturally Occurring
(naturally present but increased for lands denuded by sprawl, agriculture, or industrial development)

Nitrate, Copper, Nitrate & nitrite, Barium (total), Lead (total), Arsenic (total), Manganese, Radium-228, Radium-226, Alpha particle activity, Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium), Combined Radium (-226 & -228), Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L), Combined Uranium (pCi/L), Chromium (total), Combined Uranium (mg/L), Aluminum, Selenium (total), Nitrite, Bromide, Mercury (total inorganic), Chloromethane, Cyanide, Silver (total), Phosphorus

24Unregulated Contaminants
EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for these contaminants

Bromide, Lead (total), Strontium, Molybdenum, Vanadium, Phosphorus, Acetochlor, Aldicarb sulfone, Metolachlor, Trifluralin, Chloromethane, Methyl ethyl ketone, MTBE, Tetrahydrofuran, Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Benzo[k]fluoranthene, Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, n-Nitrosodimethylamine, Bromochloromethane, Dicamba, Phenols, Tritium, N-nitrosopyrrolidine (npyr), Uranium-234 (pCi/L)

Testing Summary for Illinois

The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.

Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in Illinois226
 Contaminants tested due to federal law: 95
 Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: 131

Violation Summary for Illinois

Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards in Illinois since 2004

Violation TypeNumber of Violations
Failure to monitor regularly2,157
Over maximum contaminant level, Average1,891
Monitoring and Reporting Disinfection Byproduct Rule741
Public Notification Violation for National Primary Drinking Water Regulations505
Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria)439
Other Non-National Primary Drinking Water Regulations Potential Health Risks416
Inadequate reporting of information to the public290
Treatment Technique (Surface Water Treatment Rule)232
Maximum contaminant level, Monthly (Coliform bacteria)207
Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report205
Failure to monitor, Routine Minor (Coliform bacteria)178
Initial Water Quality Parameter Monitoring and Reporting128
Failure to monitor, Repeat Major (Coliform bacteria)110
Follow-up and Routine Tap Sampling79
Failure to monitor, Repeat Minor (Coliform bacteria)49
Excess Turbidity at 0.3 NTU49
Treatment Technique Precursor Removal41
Public Education22
Excess Turbidity at 1 NTU20
Initial Tap Sampling for Lead and Copper18
Maximum contaminant level, Acute (Coliform bacteria)15
Optimal Corrosion Control Treatment Study Recommendation15
Water Quality Program Entry Point Non-Compliance10
Filter Turbidity Reporting7
Failure to monitor or report, Routine/Repeat (Indicators of microbial or virus contamination)5
Non-Acute maximum residual disinfectant level3
Optimal Corrosion Control Treatment Installation/Demonstration3
Over maximum contaminant level, Single Sample2
Initial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water Treatment Monitoring and Reporting2
Treatment Technique w/o State Prior Approval2