Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Schaumburg?
Yes, Schaumburg's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Schaumburg 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, Schaumburg's water utility, Schaumburg, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. This assessment is based on the Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Schaumburg Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Schaumburg for Schaumburg in Illinois. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
For the compliance period beginning July 1, 2015, Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Schaumburg water system, Schaumburg, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.0 mg/L of lead in Schaumburg water. This is 0% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Schaumburg contained more lead.
While Schaumburg water testing may have found 0.0 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 Schaumburg 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 - O'Hare Air Reserve Station - near Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg 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.
Schaumburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/01/2015 - | 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.
|
| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Schaumburg Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | Village of Schaumburg 101 Schaumburg Court SCHAUMBURG, IL, 60193 |
Existing customers can login to their Schaumburg account to pay their Schaumburg water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg means you will often need to put the water in your name with Schaumburg. 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 Schaumburg means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Schaumburg. 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
$1.45 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 Schaumburg, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Schaumburg 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 Schaumburg's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.
2021
Presented By
Village Of Schaumburg
PWS ID#: IL0314890
Quality First
Once again, we are pleased to present our annual water quality report covering all testing performed between January 1 and December 31, 2020. As in years past, we are committed to delivering the
your family.
We encourage you to share your thoughts with us on the information contained in this report. After all,
You may notice that most of the wording in this year’s report is identical to last year’s report. That is because the wording is mandated by the EPA and must be put in the report every year. If you have any questions about this mandatory language or this report, please contact Brian Wagner, Utility Superintendent at the Engineering and Public Works Department, at (847)
Source Water Assessment
The Illinois EPA considers all surface water sources of community water supplies to be susceptible to potential pollution problems. The very nature of surface water allows contaminants to migrate into the intake with no protection, only dilution. This is the reason for mandatory treatment for all surface water supplies in Illinois. Chicago’s offshore intakes are located at a distance such that shoreline impacts are not usually considered a factor on water quality. At certain times of the year, however, the potential for contamination exists due to
(312)
Lead in Home Plumbing
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young chil- dren. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. We are responsible for providing
Water Stress
Water stress occurs when the demand for water exceeds the amount available during a certain period or when poor water quality restricts its use. Water stress causes dete-
rioration of fresh water resources in terms of quantity (aquifer
According to the World Resource Institute (www.wri.org), the Middle East and North Africa remain the most water stressed regions on earth. However, several states in the western half of the U.S. are similarly experiencing extremely high levels of water stress from overuse. It is clear that even in countries with low overall water stress, individual communities within a country may still be experiencing extremely stressed conditions. For example, South Africa and the United States rank #48 and #71 on WRI’s list, respectively, yet the Western Cape (the state home to Cape Town) and New Mexico experience extremely high stress levels.
There are undeniably worrying trends in water quality. But by taking action now and investing in better management, we can solve water issues before it is too late.
Important Health Information
Some people may be more vulnerable to contami- nants in drinking water than the general population.
Immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants may be par- ticularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their
-
426-4791 or http://water. epa.gov/drink/hotline.
Substances That Could Be in Water
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. EPA prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the
water poses a health risk.
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, in some cases, radioactive material, and substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Substances that may be present in source water include: Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, or wildlife; Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or may result from urban
For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800)
Public Meetings
The Village Of Schaumburg is committed to providing you with a water supply of the highest possible quality and the information necessary to keep you an informed con- sumer. If you would like to learn more, please feel welcome to attend any of the regularly scheduled meetings of the Engineering and Public Works Committee. Please contact Brian Wagner at (847)
Information on the Internet
The U.S. EPA (https://goo.gl/TFAMKc) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) Web sites provide a substantial amount of information on many issues relating to water resources, water conservation and pub- lic health. Also, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has a Web site (http://bit.ly/3c8YPZt) that provides complete and current information on water issues in Illinois, including
valuable information about our watershed.
Source Water Description
One hundred percent of the water used by the Village Of Schaumburg comes from Lake Michigan. The city of Chicago utilizes Lake Michigan as its sole source water via two water treatment plants. The Jardine Water Purification Plant serves the northern areas of the city and suburbs, including Schaumburg, while the South Water Purification Plant serves the southern areas of the city and suburbs. Lake Michigan is the only great lake that is entirely contained within the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and is the second largest great lake by volume, with 1,180 cubic miles of water, and is the third largest by area. Water from Chicago is pumped to Schaumburg by the Northwest Suburban Municipal Joint Action Water Agency (NSMJAWA). Water is delivered to the village’s water system at four locations. We then
pumping stations.
Test Results
Our water is monitored for many different kinds of substances on a very strict sampling schedule. And, the water we deliver must meet specific health standards. Here, we only show those substances that were detected in our water (a complete list of all our analytical results is available upon request). Remember that detecting a substance does not mean the water
is unsafe to drink; our goal is to keep all detects below their respective maximum allowed levels.
The State recommends monitoring for certain substances less than once per year because the concentrations of these substances do not change frequently. In these cases, the most recent sample data are included, along with the year in which the sample was taken.
We participated in the 4th stage of the U.S. EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR4) program by performing additional tests on our drinking water. UCMR4 sampling benefits the environment and public health by providing the U.S. EPA with data on the occurrence of contaminants suspected to be in drinking water, in order to determine if U.S. EPA needs to introduce new regulatory standards to improve drinking water quality. Unregulated contaminant monitoring data are available to the public, so please feel free to contact us if you are interested in obtaining that information. If you would like more information on the U.S. EPA’s Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule, please call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800)
Note: Village backup well raw water data is available upon request.
The percentage of total organic carbon (TOC) removal was measured each month, and the system met all TOC removal requirements set by Illinois EPA.
REGULATED SUBSTANCES
Village Of Schaumburg |
City of Chicago |
SUBSTANCE
(UNIT OF MEASURE)
Barium (ppm)
Chlorine (ppm)
Combined Radium (pCi/L)
Fluoride (ppm)
Gross Alpha (pCi/L)
Haloacetic Acids [HAAs] (ppb)
Nitrate (ppm)
TTHMs [Total Trihalomethanes] (ppb)
Total Coliform Bacteria (positive samples)
Total Nitrate + Nitrite (ppm)
Turbidity (NTU)
Turbidity (lowest monthly percent of samples meeting limit)
YEAR
SAMPLED
2020
2020
2020
2020
2020
2020
2020
2020
2020
2020
2020
2020
MCL
[MRDL]
2
[4]
5
4
15
60
10
80
TT
10
TT
-
= 95% of samples meet
the limit
MCLG |
AMOUNT |
[MRDLG] |
DETECTED |
2 |
NA |
- 1
0 |
NA |
4 |
NA |
0 |
NA |
NA |
29 |
10 NA
NA 39
NA |
0 |
10 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
RANGE
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
AMOUNT
DETECTED
0.0201
NA
0.951
0.752
3.13 NA
0.42
NA
NA
0.42
0.164
100
RANGE
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
VIOLATION |
|
TYPICAL SOURCE |
No |
|
Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of |
|
||
|
|
natural deposits |
No |
|
Water additive used to control microbes |
No |
|
Decay of natural and |
No |
|
Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive, which promotes strong teeth; |
|
|
Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories |
No |
|
Decay of natural and |
No |
|
|
No |
|
Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of |
|
|
natural deposits |
No |
|
|
No |
|
Naturally present in the environment |
No |
|
Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of |
|
|
natural deposits |
No |
|
Soil runoff |
No |
|
Soil runoff |
|
|
|
Tap Water Samples Collected for Copper and Lead Analyses from Sample Sites throughout the Community
|
|
|
|
|
|
AMOUNT |
|
SITES ABOVE |
|
|
|
|
SUBSTANCE |
YEAR |
|
|
|
|
DETECTED |
|
AL/TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
(UNIT OF MEASURE) |
SAMPLED |
AL |
|
MCLG |
|
(90TH %ILE) |
|
SITES |
|
VIOLATION |
|
TYPICAL SOURCE |
Copper (ppm) |
|
1.3 |
|
1.3 |
|
0 |
|
0/30 |
|
No |
|
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of |
2020 |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
natural deposits |
Lead (ppb) |
2020 |
15 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0/30 |
|
No |
|
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
natural deposits |
UNREGULATED CONTAMINANT MONITORING RULE PART 4 (UCMR4) - VILLAGE OF SCHAUMBURG 5
Definitions
90th %ile: The levels reported for lead and copper represent the 90th percentile of the total number of sites tested. The 90th percentile is equal to or greater than 90% of our lead and copper detections.
AL (Action Level): The concentration of a contaminant that triggers treatment or other required actions by the water supply.
SUBSTANCE |
YEAR |
AMOUNT |
RANGE |
(UNIT OF MEASURE) |
SAMPLED |
DETECTED |
HAA6Br (ppb) |
2020 |
12 |
|
|||
HAA9 (ppb) |
2020 |
32 |
|
|||
Quinoline (ppb) |
2020 |
0.032 |
|
|||
UNREGULATED AND OTHER SUBSTANCES - CITY OF CHICAGO 6 |
||||||
SUBSTANCE |
|
YEAR |
|
AMOUNT |
|
RANGE |
(UNIT OF MEASURE) |
|
SAMPLED |
|
DETECTED |
|
|
Sodium (ppm) |
|
|
9.55 |
|
||
|
2020 |
|
|
|||
Sulfate (ppm) |
|
2020 |
|
27.8 |
|
|
TYPICAL SOURCE
Naturally occurring quinoline is found in coal and peat
TYPICAL SOURCE
Erosion of naturally occurring deposits; Used as water softener Erosion of naturally occurring deposits
MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level): 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.
MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal): 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.
MRDL (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is
- (226/228)
- Fluoride is added to the water supply to help promote strong teeth. The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends an optimal fluoride level of 0.7 mg/L with a range of 0.6 mg/L to 0.8 mg/L.
- Excluding radon and uranium.
- Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. It is monitored because it is a good indicator of water quality, the effectiveness of the filtration system and disinfectants.
- A maximum contaminant level (MCL) for this contaminant has not been established by either state or federal regulations, nor has mandatory health effects language.
The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist USEPA in determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and whether future regulation is warranted.
-
There is no state or federal MCL for sodium. Monitoring is required to provide information to consumers and health officials who have concerns about sodium intake due to dietary precautions. If you are on a
sodium-restricted diet, you should consult a physician about the level of sodium in the water.
necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
MRDLG (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal): 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): Indicates that the substance was not found by laboratory analysis.
NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units): Measurement of the clarity, or turbidity, of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.
pCi/L (picocuries per liter): A measure of radioactivity.
ppb (parts per billion): One part substance per billion parts water (or micrograms per liter).
ppm (parts per million): One part substance per million parts water (or milligrams per liter).
- (Treatment Technique): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Contaminants
Schaumburg
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: 81000
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Purchased surface water
- Total: 14
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromochloromethane
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Chromium (total)
- Dibromoacetic acid
- 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
The city of Schaumburg, located in the state of Illinois in the United States is home to a very big water treatment plant. It is one of the largest of its kind in the area.
What makes this water treatment facility so special? It is the one of the most advanced. It was built to meet all the requirements that are needed for it to function well and not be subject to all the problems that come with old ways of cleaning up tap water.
What is new technology that has been used to keep the quality of the water at its best? That is to remove all the bacteria, viruses and microorganisms that have found their way into the water and cause all kinds of problems. These contaminants will be removed by the multi-stage filtration system that is in place.
The new technology also makes sure that the water quality will stay at its best. It is used in such a way that is as effective as possible in filtering out harmful bacteria.
There are many co