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Tap water quality report

Salem, IL

EPA monitoring detected 20 contaminants across the 2 water suppliers serving Salem. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — see the level at the main supplier for each below, with its EPA source and period.

2
water suppliers
11,125
people served
20
contaminants found
Illinois rankings Lead in Illinois PFAS in Illinois

What was found in Salem's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitSuppliersSource
Fluoride
1018.5 µg/L 25%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Copper
565.5 µg/L 44%
of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2017
2/2 SYR4
Nitrate
350 µg/L 3.5%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
TTHM
79.48 µg/L 99%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Chloroform
65.315 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
38.95 µg/L 65%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 56.6 µg/L — NORTH EAST MARION COUNTY WATER CMPNY · 3,220 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Barium
48.3 µg/L 2.4%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid
24.78 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 34 µg/L — NORTH EAST MARION COUNTY WATER CMPNY · 3,220 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid
16 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 22.15 µg/L — NORTH EAST MARION COUNTY WATER CMPNY · 3,220 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Monobromoacetic Acid
18.575 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Bromodichloromethane
16.15 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Lead
6.35 µg/L 42%
of the EPA limit 15 µg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2017
2/2 SYR4
Simazine
3.65 µg/L 91%
of the EPA limit 4 µg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Dibromochloromethane
3.6235 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Monochloroacetic Acid
3.24 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 3.464 µg/L — NORTH EAST MARION COUNTY WATER CMPNY · 3,220 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Arsenic
1.6 µg/L 16%
of the EPA limit 10 µg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
2,4-D
1.5 µg/L 2.1%
of the EPA limit 70 µg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid
1.297 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 1.446 µg/L — NORTH EAST MARION COUNTY WATER CMPNY · 3,220 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Atrazine
0.4900 µg/L 16%
of the EPA limit 3 µg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Lead
0.0013 mg/L 8.7%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
Main supplier: SALEM · 7,905 people · 2025
2/2 LCR
Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Salem

SupplierPopulation served
SALEM 7,905
NORTH EAST MARION COUNTY WATER CMPNY 3,220

Frequently asked questions about Salem tap water

Is Salem tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 20 contaminants in the water serving Salem. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Salem?

2 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Salem, Illinois to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Salem's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Salem include Fluoride, Copper, Nitrate, TTHM, Chloroform. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.