PFAS can cause numerous health issues if left to accumulate in people’s bodies.
ILLINOIS, USA — Residents in numerous Illinois communities will soon be getting, or already have received, a groundwater contamination warning from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
A new report uncovered elevated levels of one or more PFAS, an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in 47 water systems across 21 Illinois communities, according to a press release from the IEPA. PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” due to their inability to easily break down under natural conditions, can cause numerous health issues if left to accumulate in people’s bodies.
The contamination was found during a statewide investigation launched by the IEPA in 2021 to find whether the state’s groundwater and/or drinking water had elevated levels of the chemicals.
An estimated 438,589 people get their drinking water from the affected Community Water Systems, including residents in:
- Bethalto
- Channahon
- Collinsville
- Crest Hill
- Criswell Court MPH
- East Alton
- Edwardsville
- Fox Lake
- Freeport
- Galesburg
- Lincoln
- Peoria
- Rosiclare
- Marquette Heights
- North Park
- Pleasant Valley
- Whispering Hills
- Rainbow Lane
- Robinson-Palestine Water Commission
- Rockton
- South Elgin
IEPA also warned 26 other water systems connected to the contaminated systems about the elevated levels. Click here for the full list of affected communities.
Both Bethalto and Edwardsville recently posted notices to their residents that the IEPA would be mailing them a notice about the contamination. Both communities said that PFAS were found in water that had yet to go through their treatment plants.
Federal law requires communities with elevated PFAS levels to take action to meet PFAS drinking water standards by April 2029.
