Is Elgin, IL tap water safe?
Supplied by Elgin Water System · serves 114,797 people (34,653 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID IL0894380
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Elgin gets its water from Elgin Water System. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: Willow Lake Estates MHP (920 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
Lead above the action level.
Is it an emergency? No: these findings are about longer-term exposure, and nothing in EPA's data calls for you to stop drinking the water today. If your utility ever issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit3 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 19.3 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- Lead
- Above action level18.5 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.
- Lead was above the action level in some homes sampled. 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.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Elgin 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) 931-6744. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Apr 2024 to Oct 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 Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 1.9 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 2.8 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 3.23 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 3 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
Detected in 6 of 8 samples. Highest result 19.3 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 18.5 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Above action level
Highest since 2016: 53 ppb (Dec 2025).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 18.5 ppb |
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 53 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 2.37 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 43 ppb |
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 50 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 17.1 ppb |
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 22.8 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Jun 2023 | 11.8 ppb |
| Jul 2022 – Dec 2022 | 21 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Jun 2022 | 14.2 ppb |
| Jul 2021 – Dec 2021 | 22.5 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Jun 2021 | 11.9 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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 11 ppb | 300 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.1 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.45 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 2.2 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 1.9 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Chlorate | 26 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.53 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Elgin
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 60120, 60123, 60124
Nearby utilities
- South Elgin Water System South Elgin · 3 mi · PFAS above limit
- Hoffman Estates Water System Hoffman Estates · 9 mi
- Schaumburg Water System Schaumburg · 12 mi
- Palatine Water System Palatine · 15 mi
- Wheaton Water System Wheaton · 17 mi
- Arlington Heights Water System Arlington Heights · 18 mi
Questions
Is Elgin tap water safe to drink?
Most of Elgin gets its water from Elgin Water System. Elgin 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 Elgin water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Elgin Water System found 3 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Elgin water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Elgin Water System is 18.5 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 IL0894380: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID IL0894380).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Elgin Water System at (847) 931-6744, 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.