Is Rockford, IL tap water safe?
Supplied by Rockford Water System · serves 147,051 people (51,060 connections) · Groundwater · EPA ID IL2010300
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Rockford gets its water from Rockford Water System. Parts of the city are served by 5 smaller systems: Illinois American Water – Wildwood (490 people), Rockford Mhc, LLC (240 people), Prairie Road Pump Corporation (150 people), Clarks MHP (90 people) and 1 more. Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit2 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level10 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.
- 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 Rockford 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 (779) 348-7654. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 23 entry points tested Oct 2023 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 Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 6.35 ppt 64% of the limit |
| 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) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.64 |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 2.2 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 2 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 44 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 10 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 14 ppb (Jun 2025).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 10 ppb |
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 8.4 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 14 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2023 | 5.3 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 13 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 4.1 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 5.6 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 6.7 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 0 ppb |
Copper 90th percentile: 1.48 ppm (Dec 1992), action level 1,300 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 | 384 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 1.16 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Cobalt | 8.82 ppb | 70 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 18.8 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Chlorate | 79.9 ppb | 210 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 22.9 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.4 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 1.1 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Rockford
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 61101, 61102, 61103, 61104, 61107, 61108, 61109, 61114
Nearby utilities
- North Park Public Water District Machesney Park · 8 mi · PFAS above limit
- Freeport Water System Freeport · 29 mi · PFAS above limit
- Illinois American Water – Whispering Hills McHenry · 40 mi · PFAS above limit
- Elgin Water System Elgin · 41 mi
- South Elgin Water System South Elgin · 43 mi · PFAS above limit
- Hoffman Estates Water System Hoffman Estates · 48 mi
Questions
Is Rockford tap water safe to drink?
Most of Rockford gets its water from Rockford Water System. Rockford 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 Rockford water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Rockford Water System found 2 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Rockford water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Rockford Water System is 10 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 IL2010300: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID IL2010300).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Rockford Water System at (779) 348-7654, 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.