Drinking water quality · 2023
· Verified
What's in Chicago, IL tap water
15 contaminants were measured in the Chicago, IL water system's 2023 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Contaminants measured
- 15
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- IL
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Chicago, IL's drinking water comes from surface water, drawn from 4 sources.
Source
- INTAKE (00104) JARDINE SHORE INTAKE
- INTAKE (00105) SAWYER PLANT SHORE INTAKE
- INTAKE (01305) DUNNE INTAKE CRIB
- INTAKE (01306) JARDINE DEVER INTAKE CRIB
Treatment
- TP 01-JARDINE PLANT
- TP 02-SAWYER PLANT
Distribution
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
18 historically-detected contaminants in Chicago, IL
Every U.S. public water system reports compliance-monitoring data to EPA. The Six-Year Review releases the 2012–2019 window as a single dataset — here's what your system reported, year by year. Values shown are the highest detection per analyte per year, compared to the federal MCL.
| Contaminant | Worst detection | EPA limit | Years (2012–2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
TTHM worst: 2016 | 0.0454 mg/L within | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
HAA5 worst: 2016 | 0.0259 mg/L within | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2014 | 0.977 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
RADIUM 226 228 worst: 2014 | 0.84 pCi/L within below national p90 | 5 pCi/L | '14 |
ARSENIC worst: 2013 | 0.000767 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '12'13 |
SELENIUM worst: 2013 | 0.00248 mg/L within | 0.05 mg/L | '13 |
NITRATE worst: 2016 | 0.462 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE NITRITE worst: 2016 | 0.462 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BARIUM worst: 2014 | 0.0227 mg/L within below national p90 | 2 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
COPPER worst: 2012 | 0.29 mg/L below national p90 | — | '12'15'18 |
LEAD worst: 2012 | 0.023 mg/L | — | '12'15'18 |
DBAA worst: 2012 | 0.002 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DCAA worst: 2012 | 0.0079 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
MCAA worst: 2018 | 0.0048 mg/L | — | '18 |
TCAA worst: 2012 | 0.0057 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.0108 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.0176 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.006200000000000001 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 1 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMCLG | Within the limit |
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escherichia coli (E. coli)Escherichia coli — bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals. | 0Reported levelSystem-wide | 0MCLG | None detected |
| Total ColiformA group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. | 0.4 %Reported levelSystem-wide | 0 %MCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SulfateA naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. | 25.3–28.2 mg/LRangeSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SodiumA naturally occurring salt component. | 9.18 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.39 NTUReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined RadiumCombined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. | 0.95 pCi/LReported levelSystem-wide | 0 pCi/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
| Gross AlphaGross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. | 2.8–3.1 pCi/LRangeSystem-wide | 0 pCi/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about Chicago, IL's water
+Is Chicago, IL tap water safe to drink in 2023?
Every one of the 15 contaminants measured in Chicago, IL's 2023 Consumer Confidence Report is below its federal limit. "Safe" under the EPA's drinking-water standards is health-based, not aesthetic — but by those standards, no measured contaminant in this report exceeds its enforceable threshold. Individual health concerns (e.g. immunocompromised, infant, pregnancy) may warrant additional filtering regardless of compliance.
+What contaminants are in Chicago, IL tap water?
15 contaminants were measured in Chicago, IL's 2023 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, inorganic chemicals, and disinfection byproducts. 12 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Chicago, IL's 2023 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. public water utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived and viewable on this site. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
+How often is Chicago, IL's water quality data updated?
Each U.S. public water utility publishes one Consumer Confidence Report per year, covering the prior calendar year's measurements. This page reflects the 2023 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.