Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Waukegan?
Yes, Waukegan's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Waukegan has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page or the city's water provider website.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Waukegan's water utility, Waukegan, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Waukegan was resolved on Sept. 30, 2017. This assessment is based on the Waukegan water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Water Quality Report for Waukegan Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Waukegan tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.
Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.
EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.
We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Waukegan's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Waukegan Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Waukegan for Waukegan in Illinois. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
From Sept. 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2017, Waukegan had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule.
For the compliance period beginning July 1, 2016, Waukegan had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Other Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Consumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting which falls into the Other rule code group, and the Consumer Confidence Rule rule code family for the following contaminant code: Consumer Confidence Rule.
Is there Lead in Waukegan Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Waukegan water system, Waukegan, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.0051 mg/L of lead in Waukegan water. This is 34.0% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Waukegan contained more lead.
While Waukegan water testing may have found 0.0051 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Waukegan Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - GREAT LAKES IL NSTC - near Waukegan with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Waukegan has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
Waukegan SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years
| Compliance Period | Status | Health-Based? | Category Code | Code | Rule Code | Contaminant Code | Rule Group Code | Rule Family Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/01/2017 - 09/30/2017 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) (38) | Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (122) | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (0300) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
| 07/01/2016 - | Resolved | No | Other Violation (Other) | Consumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting (72) | Consumer Confidence Rule (420) | Consumer Confidence Rule (7000) | Other (400) | Consumer Confidence Rule (420) |
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
|
| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
|
| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
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| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Waukegan Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | Waukegan Water Plant 360 East Sea Horse Dr. WAUKEGAN, IL, 60085 |
Existing customers can login to their Waukegan account to pay their Waukegan water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your Waukegan bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Waukegan water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Waukegan water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Waukegan means you will often need to put the water in your name with Waukegan. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Waukegan means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Waukegan. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
The estimated price of bottled water
$0.65 in USD (1.5-liter)
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Waukegan, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Waukegan Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)
The EPA mandates that towns and cities consistently monitor and test their tap water. They must report their findings in an annual Consumer Confidence Report. Below is the most recent water quality report from Waukegan's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.
City of Waukegan
2021 Annual Water Quality
Report
Welcome to your Annual Water Quality Report covering the period from January 1 through December 31, 2020. Your tap water met all USEPA and state drinking water health standards. We are pleased to report that our system had no violation of a contaminant level. This report summarizes important information about where your tap water comes from, how it is treated and what it contains. Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre el agua que usted bebe. Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.
How is the water purified?
Waukegan draws water from Lake Michigan via an intake that extends into the Lake. The water undergoes various treatment processes before being delivered as finished tap water. Aluminum sulfate and polymer are added to the water to destabilize and increase the density of substances that cause turbidity (cloudiness). The water flows to the settling basins, where it undergoes gentle mixing and where turbidity causing substances are allowed to settle out. The water then flows through the filters that consist of natural media layers (gravel, sand and anthracite) to remove the remaining particles and bacteria. The water is disinfected with chlorine three times during this process and monitored for turbidity to provide the maximum barrier against bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. Fluoride is added (as mandated by State law) to reduce tooth decay followed by phosphate to protect the integrity of water mains and house plumbing against corrosion.
What does the water contain?
Our water is tested and monitored onsite at the treatment plant every day, 24/7, 365 days a year. In addition to manual testing, we have continuous online monitoring instruments that monitor turbidity and chlorine residuals. Our turbidity instruments monitor the water every 3 seconds. That is over 94 million readings a year for just one water quality parameter. Turbidity is a measurement of cloudiness of water due to suspended particles. It is a good indicator of water quality and the effectiveness of our filtration and disinfection. Chlorine levels are monitored every 2.5 minutes. The drinking water is analyzed onsite and also by EPA approved NELAP accredited laboratories to test for over 100 contaminants in the finished water. The water is tested for bacteria, radioactive compounds, fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides as well as contaminants from plastics, petroleum, metals, textile- finishing, pharmaceutical and chemicals factories just to name a few.
Despite the concern of PCB’s along Waukegan’s Harbor, there are no PCB’s in our drinking water. If you would like to see all of the contaminants that Waukegan tested for during 2020 please go to http://water.epa.state.il.us/dww/JSP/WaterSystemDetail.jsp? tinwsys_is_number=716978&tinwsys_st_code=IL&wsnumber =IL0971900
Lead and Copper
Lead in drinking water is primarily indicative of household plumbing and/or service line corrosion. We cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.
However, we add blended phosphate to the water to minimize the leaching of lead containing plumbing material. If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead
Want to know more about Lake Michigan water?
The overall quality of Lake Michigan water has improved substantially since the late 1960’s. This is primarily due to IL EPA enforcing stricter regulations regarding direct discharge of municipal and industrial wastes into the Lake. According to the Source Water Assessment Report, since the water supply’s intake is 6,200 ft into the lake there is low susceptibility to shoreline contaminants due to mixing and dilution. The full summary of this report can be found at http://dataservices.epa.illinois.gov/swap/factsheet.aspx
Lake Michigan Harbor, 2020
Table 1 lists regulated contaminants that were found in the finished water for the year 2020. If the contaminant does not appear on the list below, it means that it was not detected in the water. Over 80 regulated contaminants are monitored.
Regulated Contaminants
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Highest Level |
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Range of |
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MCL (mg/L) |
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MCLG |
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Violation |
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Collection |
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Contaminant and Source of |
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Detected |
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Levels (mg/L) |
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(footnote 2) |
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(mg/L) |
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Date |
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(mg/L) |
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(footnote 8) |
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(footnote 3) |
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Contamination |
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(footnote 1, 12) |
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Biological Contaminants |
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Total Coliform Bacteria |
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5.0% ( 0 |
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sample total |
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5% of |
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naturally present in environment, |
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coliform |
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N/A |
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monthly |
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2.1 |
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No |
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monthly |
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used as an indicator for other |
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positive, E.coli |
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samples |
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bacteria |
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negative) |
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Turbidity (NTU) |
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0.1 (Highest |
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soil runoff (footnote 5, 6) |
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single |
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0.08 |
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TT = 1.0 |
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N/A |
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No |
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every 2 |
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measurement) |
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hours |
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Turbidity (lowest monthly % limit) |
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100% |
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100% |
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T T= 0.3 |
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N/A |
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No |
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Inorganic Contaminants |
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Barium |
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discharges of drilling wastes and |
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0.018 - 0.018 |
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2 |
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2 |
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No |
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2020 |
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metal refineries; erosion of natural |
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0.018 |
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deposits |
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Zinc (State regulated – footnote 7) |
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Naturally occurring; discharge from |
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0.023 |
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5 |
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5 |
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No |
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2020 |
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metal factories |
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Nitrate (State regulated – footnote 7) |
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0.42 |
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fertilizer, sewage runoff; natural |
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0.42 |
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10 |
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10 |
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No |
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2020 |
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erosion |
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Sodium (State regulated - footnote 7) |
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natural erosion, used in water |
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11.0 |
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11.0 – 11.0 |
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N/A |
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N/A |
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No |
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2020 |
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softener regeneration |
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4 |
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4 |
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Chlorine |
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1.1 |
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1.1 – 1.3 |
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(MRDL) |
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(MRDLG) |
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No |
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Continuously |
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disinfectant |
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(footnote 10) |
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(footnote |
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11) |
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Lead (distribution system – footnote |
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0 samples |
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*every 3 |
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0.0051 |
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AL = 0.015 |
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years July - |
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14) corrosion of household plumbing |
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exceeding AL |
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0 |
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No |
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(90th %) |
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(footnote 15) |
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September |
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and/or service lines |
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(0 – 0.0) |
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2020 |
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Copper (distribution system) |
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0 samples |
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every 3 |
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0.11 |
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years July - |
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corrosion of household plumbing |
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exceeding AL |
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AL = 1.3 |
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1.3 |
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No |
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(90th %) |
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September |
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and/or service lines |
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(0 - 0.00) |
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2020 |
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Disinfection |
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Haloacetic Acids (HAA) – footnote 16 |
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23 |
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12.8 – 30.0 |
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60 |
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N/A |
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No |
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2020 |
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Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) |
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41 |
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16.81 – 44.7 |
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80 |
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N/A |
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No |
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2020 |
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*Some contaminants are monitored less frequently than once a year. Lead and copper testing occurs every 3 years. ppb – parts per billion or micrograms per liter
Definitions and Abbreviations for Table 1 and Table 2 (Footnote reference)
- Highest Level Detected – in most cases, this the annual average of all samples collected during the CCR calendar year.
- Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The highest contaminant level that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
- Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - Level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG's allow for a margin of safety.
- Treatment Technique (TT) - A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water
- Turbidity - Turbidity is a measurement of cloudiness of water due to suspended particles. It is a good indicator of water quality and the effectiveness of our filtration system and disinfectants.
- NTU – Nephelometric Turbidity Units
- State regulated - this contaminant is regulated by the State. Currently, no federal standard exists for this contaminant.
- Range of levels - the lowest to the highest measurement of a contaminant that was detected throughout the year.
- N/A - not applicable
- Maximum residual disinfectant level (MRDL) - The highest disinfectant level allowed in drinking water. There is adequate evidence that addition of disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
- Maximum residual disinfectant level goal (MRDLG) – Drinking water disinfectant level below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLG's do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
13. Distribution system applies to contaminant levels found at consumers’ tap.
14. Action Level (AL) – The concentration of a contaminant that triggers treatment by the water supply.
15. Disinfection
16. The percentage of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal was measured each month and the system met all TOC requirements.
Is the water safe?
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, USEPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426- 4791.
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it can dissolve naturally occurring minerals and pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Possible contaminants consist of:
- Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants
- Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from storm water runoff, industrial, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
- Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from storm water runoff and residential uses.
-
Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are
by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations and storm water runoff - Radioactive contaminants can be naturally- occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.
Cryptosporidium Testing
Cryptosporidium and Giardia testing on Lake Michigan influent was conducted between October 2015 and September 2017. Cryptosporidium is a
One test result yielded cryptosporidium of 0.2 oocysts/L in February 2016. The mean Cryptosporidium concentration was at 0.017 oocysts/L, well below the treatment technique trigger of 0.075 oocysts/L. Current test methods do not enable us to determine if the organisms are dead or if they are capable of causing disease. Our treatment process of filtration and disinfection has been optimized to provide effective barriers against these organisms.
Table 3 lists results for some of the parameters of water testing, which are primarily used for treatment process control.
Contaminant |
Level Detected |
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(mg/L) |
Sulfate |
27 |
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Chloride |
14 |
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Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) |
140 |
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Conductivity (µS/cm) |
281 |
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Calcium |
34 |
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Magnesium |
12 |
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Total Hardness (as CaCO3) |
140 |
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pH |
7.3 – 7.6 |
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Get Involved
If you have any questions or comments about this report please contact the Water Plant Superintendent, Antonio Dominguez at
Contaminants
Waukegan
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 86000
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 18
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Arsenic
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromochloromethane
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Nitrate
- Nitrate and nitrite
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Barium
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Molybdenum
- Monobromoacetic acid
- Strontium
- Vanadium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.
Sources and Resources
Sources Cited
Additional Resources
Have you been shopping for some of the purest tap water available in the World? If you have, then you must know that Waukegan, Iowa is one of the best places to go to get your drinking water. The reason why it''s considered to be a top destination for tap water purification and quality is because of all the things that the city has done in order to make sure that their water is safe and pure. If you are looking for a place in the United States to get your drinking water, then you should definitely consider Waukegan. Here are just a few of the reasons why Waukegan is a great place to go to for drinking water.
First off, they have made sure that their drinking water is the best there is. In fact, the water is ranked among the best in the entire country by the National Health and Wellness Club. They have done this by testing each of the water samples that are provided to them, and then determining which ones were contaminated with bacteria and other harmful microorga