Public water system record
Chicago
Serves Chicago, Cook County, IL · 2,746,388 people served
Federal records show no health-based violations and 45 monitoring/reporting issues for Chicago in the last ten years. At least one of these issues remains unresolved.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 0
- Resolved
- 0
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 45
Key facts
- Chicago draws water from 4 surface water intakes.
- Record on file since 1977, with 1 health-based violation before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 150,767 lead and 251,569 unknown out of 487,347 service lines.
Check whether Chicago serves your address
Health-based violations
Since October 2016Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.
None since October 2016.
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS
RPT
|
Jul 2, 2025 | Active |
|
Public Notice
OTHER
|
Jun 15, 2025 | Active |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
May 1, 2025 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Apr 1, 2025 | Resolved |
|
Dinoseb
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2025 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jul 1, 2024 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jul 1, 2024 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jul 1, 2024 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jul 1, 2024 | Resolved |
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Dec 30, 2021 | Resolved |
|
Consumer Confidence Rule
OTHER
|
Jul 1, 2021 | Resolved |
|
Consumer Confidence Rule
OTHER
|
Jul 1, 2020 | Resolved |
|
Chlordane
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Pentachlorophenol
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Benzo(a)pyrene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
HEXACHLOROBENZENE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
2,4,5-TP
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
2,4-D
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Heptachlor epoxide
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Heptachlor
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
LASSO
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Atrazine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Aldicarb
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Carbofuran
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Aldicarb sulfone
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Aldicarb sulfoxide
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Dinoseb
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Picloram
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Simazine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
OXAMYL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Endothall
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Diquat
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Dalapon
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Toxaphene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Methoxychlor
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
BHC-GAMMA
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Endrin
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Nov 1, 2016 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Oct 1, 2016 | Resolved |
Full record since 1977
EPA's records for Chicago go back to 1977. Before October 19, 2016 they list 1 health-based violation (1 resolved) and 11 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 1 |
| 1990s | 1 | 4 |
| 2000s | 0 | 2 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 0 | 4 |
| October 19, 2016 to 2019 | 0 | 32 |
| 2020s | 0 | 12 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Lead and Copper Rule, began January 1993, Resolved.
Show the health-based violation before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jan 7, 1993 | Resolved |
Where the water comes from
Chicago draws water from 4 surface water intakes. 49 other community water systems and 42 smaller public systems such as schools, businesses or campgrounds buy water from Chicago. 2 other public water systems have emergency connections to Chicago.
Community systems that buy water from it
- Alsip Alsip, IL
- Aqua Illinois-Summerdale Kankakee, IL
- Bedford Park Bedford Park, IL
- Berwyn Berwyn, IL
- Blue Island Blue Island, IL
- Bridgeview Bridgeview, IL
- Broadview-Westchester Joint Water Agency Broadview, IL
- Brookfield-North Riverside Water Comm. Brookfield, IL
- Burnham Burnham, IL
- Calumet City Calumet City, IL
- Calumet Park Calumet Park, IL
- Central Stickney SD Burbank, IL
- Cicero Cicero, IL
- Des Plaines Des Plaines, IL
- Dolton Dolton, IL
- Du Page Water Commission Elmhurst, IL
- Elmwood Park Elmwood Park, IL
- Evergreen Park Evergreen Park, IL
- Forest Park Forest Park, IL
- Forest View Forest View, IL
- Franklin Park Franklin Park, IL
- Garden Home SD Garden Homes, IL
- Glen Eden Estates Homeowners Association Norwood Park Township, IL
- Harbor Point Estates MHP Northbrook, IL
- Harvey Harvey, IL
- Harwood Heights Hardwood Heights, IL
- Hometown Hometown, IL
- IL American-Moreland Godfrey, IL
- Justice-Willow Springs Water Commission Justice, IL
- Mc Cook McCook, IL
- Melrose Park Melrose Park, IL
- Merrionette Park Merrionette Park, IL
- Mid-Mark Water Commission Markham, IL
- Norridge Norridge, IL
- Northwest Suburban Municipal Jawa Elk Grove Village, IL
- Oak Lawn Oak Lawn, IL
- Oak Park Oak Park, IL
- Park Ridge Park Ridge, IL
- River Forest River Forest, IL
- River Grove River Grove, IL
- Riverdale Riverdale, IL
- Robbins Robbins, IL
- Rosemont Rosemont, IL
- Schiller Park Schiller Park, IL
- South Holland South Holland, IL
- South Stickny SD Burbank, IL
- Stickney Stickney, IL
- Summit Summit, IL
- Worth Worth, IL
Annual water quality report
Chicago must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.
Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.
Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search
Testing your own water
To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by Illinois.
Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells