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Tap water quality in Chicago, Illinois? Is it safe to drink?

The Tap Water Quality in Chicago, Illinois is generally considered to be safe and meets all federal and state regulations. The local water utility that serves the Chicago area is Chicago Department of Water Management.

Key Points about Chicago's Water Quality:

  1. Source: The primary source of Chicago's water is Lake Michigan. The city operates various purification plants that treat and purify the water before it reaches residents.
  2. Testing and Standards: The Chicago Department of Water Management conducts regular and rigorous testing to ensure that the water quality meets the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).
  3. Water Hardness: Chicago's water is moderately hard, with a significant amount of minerals like calcium and magnesium. This can cause some concerns for residents, such as scaling in pipes and appliances.
  4. Common Concerns: While the tap water is generally safe, there are occasional concerns related to lead contamination, especially in older homes with lead pipes. The city is actively working on replacing these old pipes and recommends that residents use water filters certified to remove lead.

Overall, the tap water in Chicago is safe for drinking and everyday use, but residents are encouraged to use water purifiers and water softeners to protect themselves. This is especially important in older homes where the risk of lead contamination is higher.

Check water quality in another city or zip code

Get Involved. Take Action

Contact Your Local Elected Official & Water Supply Company

One of the best ways for cleaner water is to talk to elected officials who have a say in water quality. Ask questions and demand actionable plans for healthier water.

Filter Out Contaminants

Check out different water filters to protect your water against the detected contaminants.


Which water purifier to get for Chicago, Illinois?

Types of filters

GAC & Carbon

Micro filter

Ultra filter

Nano filter

Reverse Osmosis filter

Particle size filtered

> 10 Microns

10 to 0.1 Microns

0.1 to 0.01 Microns

0.01 to 0.001 Microns

< 0.0001 Microns

Common Suspended Compounds

Sediments

Pollen

Giardia Cysts

Bacteria, Algae

Yeast Cells

Asbestos fibers

Blue Indigo Dye

Cryptosporidium

MicroPlastics

Some

PFAs -polyfluoroalkyl substances

Some

Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, Mercury

Haloacetic acids (HAA5/HAA9)

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

Viruses

Some

Colloidal Silica

Some

Common Dissolved solids

1,1-Dichloroethane

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Trichloroethylene

Pesticides and Herbicides

Some

Some

Synthetic Dyes

Bromide

Some

Some

Some

Some

Bromochloromethane

Some

Some

Some

Some

Hardness

Some

Aqueous Salts

Some

Endocrine disruptors

Some

Nitrate & nitrite

Some

1,4-Dioxane

Some

Aluminum

Some

Barium

Some

Chromium (total)

Some

Fluoride

Some

Manganese

Some

Molybdenum

Some

Selenium

Some

Strontium

Some

Trichlorofluoromethane

Some

Uranium, combined (pCi/L)

Some


What do we do? How do we help?

We have developed the TDSBot, an inexpensive IOT device that monitors, in real time, the Incoming and Outgoing TDS levels, temperature, flow rate and cumulative volume of water filtered. Easy to install, it works with all water purifiers including, sediment, GAC, Carbon, Micro, Ultra, Nano and Reverse Osmosis water filters. Key benefits:

  • Know the incoming and filtered water quality in real time.
  • Know the volume of water filtered by day, week, month and total.
  • Know in advance when to change filter cartridges. Too often we tend to realize that they need changing after the water purifier has stopped working or worse, when the water smells bad.
  • Change filters only when needed. Sometimes filters perform longer than their standard life due to better incoming water or lower usage. Reduce waste and save money.
  • Quality data collected is aggregated to show real time water quality data to all the community.

TDSBot can be installed on water purifiers from Pentair, Culligan, 3M, Brita, BWT, iSpring, and most other brands. Supports sediment, GAC, Micro, Ultra, Nano and Reverse osmosis filters. It can remotely monitor filters attached to Coffee machines, Ice makers, soda fountains, water dispensers, ovens, laundry & dish washing, car wash found at Cafes, convenient stores, healthcare facilities, hotels, offices, restaurants, colleges, schools, hydroponic systems, and many more.

There are no TDSBots in Chicago, Illinois that are sharing tap water quality. Be the first one to install one on your water purifier. We are giving $10 off. Apply coupon code - Chicago while checking out.

Ensure safe and healthy drinking water. Start sharing tape water quality in Chicago for the benefit of the community


Sustainability Impact Insights

TDSBot can generate a variety of sustainability data, including water usage metrics, identify areas of reducing water waste, leak detection and prevention, extend filter and equipment lifespan, predictive maintenance alerts to extend equipment life and reduce environmental impact.
Sustainability data can be easily showcased on your corporate website or publicly shared on your social media
BOTTLES

1 030 529

Plastic Bottles Saved

8 532 Kg

CO2 Emissions Saved

USD 226 716

Bottled H2O/Maintenance Savings

23 891

Car Miles Avoided

853

Equivalent Trees Planted

515 264 L

Total Water Filtered

last update 04/23/2025


* A definition specific to a few codes is that “Safe drinking water” means water that meets all primary and secondary drinking water standards. Drinking water standards are set based on potential health impacts and also take into account the cost to meet the drinking water standard. Also, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines drinking water as safe when humans can drink it with low risk of immediate or long-term harm to your health. Although there may be health risks associated with certain contaminants found in drinking water not all contaminants are necessarily harmful.
** Based on the data collected from the TDSBots installed in Los Angeles, California

Water quality in neighboring cities:

Albany Park, Alsip, Arlington Heights, Ashburn, Auburn Gresham, Avondale, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, Bellwood, Belmont Cragin, Berkeley, Berwyn, Blue Island, Bridgeport, Bridgeview, Brighton Park, Broadview, Brookfield, Buffalo Grove, Burbank, Burnham, Calumet City, Calumet Park, Chatham, Chicago, Chicago Heights, Chicago Lawn, Chicago Loop, Chicago Ridge, Cicero, Country Club Hills, Countryside, Crestwood, Des Plaines, Dixmoor, Dolton, Douglas, East Garfield Park, East Hazel Crest, Edgewater, Elk Grove Village, Elmwood Park, Englewood, Evanston, Evergreen Park, Flossmoor, Ford Heights, Forest Park, Franklin Park, Gage Park, Glencoe, Glenview, Glenwood, Grand Boulevard, Greater Grand Crossing, Hanover Park, Harvey, Harwood Heights, Hazel Crest, Hickory Hills, Hillside, Hodgkins, Hoffman Estates, Hometown, Homewood, Hyde Park, Indian Head Park, Inverness, Irving Park, Justice, Kenilworth, Kenwood, La Grange, La Grange Park, Lansing, Lemont, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square, Lincolnwood, Logan Square, Lower West Side, Lynwood, Lyons, Markham, Matteson, Maywood, McKinley Park, Melrose Park, Merrionette Park, Midlothian, Morgan Park, Morton Grove, Mount Greenwood, Mount Prospect, Near North Side, Near South Side, New City, Niles, Norridge, Northbrook, North Center, Northfield, Northlake, North Lawndale, North Riverside, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Olympia Fields, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Palatine, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, Park Ridge, Phoenix, Portage Park, Posen, Prospect Heights, Richton Park, Riverdale, River Forest, River Grove, Riverside, Robbins, Rogers Park, Rolling Meadows, Rosemont, Sauk Village, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, Skokie, South Barrington, South Chicago, South Chicago Heights, South Holland, South Lawndale, South Shore, Steger, Stickney, Stone Park, Streamwood, Summit, Thornton, Tinley Park, Uptown, Westchester, West Elsdon, West Englewood, Western Springs, West Garfield Park, West Lawn, West Ridge, West Town, Wheeling, Willow Springs, Wilmette, Winnetka, Woodlawn, Worth

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