Is Kankakee Tap Water Safe to Drink?

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LEAD AND COPPER

LEAD: If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Aqua is responsible for providing high quality drinking water but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 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 from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

TURBIDITY - Regulated at the water treatment plant: 95% of samples must be below 0.3 NTU.

Turbidity is a measurement of the cloudiness of the water caused by suspended particles. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of water quality and the effectiveness of our filtration system.

Total Organic Carbon- The percentage of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal was measured each month and the system met all TOC removal requirements set by the IEPA.

2020 Violation Summary Table: None - We are pleased to report we were in compliance with all water quality parameters in 2020.

Cryptosporidium

Monitoring for Cryptosporidium (a naturally occurring microbial pathogen) was conducted from October 2015 through September 2017 on raw (untreated) water samples from our intake on the Kankakee River. Cryptosporidium was detected in 8 of 24 raw water samples with a highest 12- month average count of 0.086 oocysts per liter. Our water treatment processes will remove Cryptosporidium, but complete removal of all organisms at all times cannot be guaranteed. For this reason, immuno-compromised individuals (people with weakened immune systems) are encouraged to consult their doctor regarding appropriate precautions to avoid infection.

Unregulated contaminant monitoring (UCMR4)

The 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) require that once every 5 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issue a new list of no more than 30 unregulated contaminants to be monitored by public water systems (PWS). The Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) provides EPA and other interested parties with scientifically valid data on the occurrence of contaminants in drinking water. These data serve as a primary source of occurrence and exposure information that the agency uses to develop regulatory decisions. If a PWS monitoring for UCMR4 finds contaminants in its drinking water, it must provide the information to its customers in this annual water quality report. Below is a table of the results of our UCMR4 monitoring in 2019. All other contaminants tested during UCMR4 were Not Detected.

Unregulated Contaminants Detected During 2019

Distribution Samples

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Water Quality Table Definitions:

Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements.

Date of Sample: Some contaminants are monitored less frequently than once a year. If any of these contaminants were detected the last time they were monitored, they are included in the table with the sample date.

Fluoride: Fluoride may help prevent tooth decay if administered properly to children but can be harmful in excess. Customers in the Kankakee water supply receive fluoridated water. For more information about fluoride in your tap water, call Aqua Illinois at 815.614.2032. This information may be helpful to you, your pediatrician, or your dentist in determining whether fluoride supplements or treatment are appropriate.

Level Found: For contaminants with annual or less frequent monitoring, this is the single level detected in the most recent monitoring period. For other contaminants, the level found is the annual average of multiple test results. If multiple locations were tested, the level found is the annual average for the location with the highest level. For Lead and Copper, see below.

Lead and Copper Level Found: Only the 90th percentile detection level from the most recent monitoring period of all approved sites sampled for each of these contaminants. The number of sites monitored and the frequency of monitoring is determined by the IEPA for every supply.

Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA): The average of sample analytical results for samples taken at a particular monitoring location during the previous four calendar quarters under the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant 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): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

NA: Not applicable.

ND: Not detected.

Nitrate: Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant, you should ask advice from your health care provider.

pCi/L, picocuries/Liter: A unit of concentration for radioactive contaminants.

ppb: Parts per billion or micrograms per liter – or one ounce in 7,350,000 gallons of water.

ppm: Parts per million or milligrams per liter – or one ounce in 7,350 gallons of water.

PWSID: Public water supply identification number

Range of Detected Levels: The range of values from all tests during the CCR reporting year. For contaminants tested annually or less frequently, only one value is reported. For Lead and Copper, see above.

Running Annual Average (RAA): The average of all monthly or quarterly samples for the last year at all sample locations.

Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Turbidity: Monitored as a measure of treatment efficiency for removal of particles.

Our water systems are designed and operated to deliver water to our customers’ plumbing systems that complies with state and federal drinking water standards. This water is disinfected using chlorine, but it is not necessarily sterile. Customers’ plumbing, including treatment devices, might remove, introduce or increase contaminants in tap water. All customers, and in particular operators of facilities like hotels and institutions serving susceptible populations (like hospitals and nursing homes), should properly operate and maintain the plumbing systems in these facilities. You can obtain additional information from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800.426.4791.

*This consumer confidence report contains regulatorily required or recommended language, and nothing herein is, is intended as, nor should be construed as, a promise of or contract for payment or reimbursement of expenses incurred for any action you take on account of this consumer confidence report.