Des Plaines Water System water quality
Des Plaines, IL · serves 60,675 people (17,080 connections) · Purchased surface water · Local government · EPA ID IL0310630
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Northwest Water Commission, City of Chicago Department of Water Management. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 8 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level5.7 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Jun 2026. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Des Plaines Water System's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (847) 391-5468. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested May 2024 to Feb 2025. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 8 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 5.7 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 5.7 ppb |
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 3.8 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 2.27 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 3.43 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2023 | 4.72 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2019 | 2.1 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2018 | 2.13 ppb |
| Jul 2017 – Dec 2017 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Jun 2017 | 2.83 ppb |
| Jul 2016 – Dec 2016 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 0 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
3 unresolved monitoring or reporting violations: Lead and Copper Rule, Consumer Confidence Rule.
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Vanadium | 0.3 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.24 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.14 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Molybdenum | 1.1 ppb | 40 ppb |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 60016, 60018
Nearby utilities
- Arlington Heights Water System Arlington Heights · 6 mi
- Skokie Water System Skokie · 8 mi
- Palatine Water System Palatine · 9 mi
- Schaumburg Water System Schaumburg · 9 mi
- Evanston Water System Evanston · 11 mi
- Oak Park Water System Oak Park · 12 mi
Questions
Is Des Plaines Water System water safe to drink?
Des Plaines Water System has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Des Plaines Water System water have PFAS?
EPA tested Des Plaines Water System for 29 PFAS between May 2024 and Feb 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Des Plaines Water System water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Des Plaines Water System is 5.7 ppb, for the period ending Jun 2026. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for IL0310630: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID IL0310630).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Des Plaines Water System at (847) 391-5468, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.