Is Washington, IL Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Washington'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.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Nitrate	162.5 µg/L 1.6% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 1400 µg/L — IL AMERICAN-WASHINGTON ESTATES · 1,143 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Fluoride	1059 µg/L 26% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2018 Highest in the city: 1339.5 µg/L — IL AMERICAN-WASHINGTON ESTATES · 1,143 people · 2018	3/3	SYR4
Copper	1200 µg/L 92% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2018 Highest in the city: 1330.75 µg/L — IL AMERICAN-WASHINGTON ESTATES · 1,143 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	109 µg/L 1.1% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2018 Highest in the city: 1200 µg/L — IL AMERICAN-WASHINGTON ESTATES · 1,143 people · 2018	2/3	SYR4
Barium	366.5 µg/L 18% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2018	3/3	SYR4
TTHM	33.195 µg/L 41% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Chloroform	25.2985 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	20.76 µg/L 35% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Lead	6.1 µg/L 41% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2018 Highest in the city: 13.2 µg/L — IL AMERICAN-WASHINGTON ESTATES · 1,143 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	12.285 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	9.388 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 9.72 µg/L — IL AMERICAN-WASHINGTON ESTATES · 1,143 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Monobromoacetic Acid	1.07 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 9.45 µg/L — IL AMERICAN-WASHINGTON ESTATES · 1,143 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	6.633 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Arsenic	2.895 µg/L 29% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2018 Highest in the city: 3.87 µg/L — HARVARD HILLS WATER CORPORATION · 215 people · 2018	2/3	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	2.083 pCi/L 42% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2017	3/3	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	1.8646 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Cadmium	1.1 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Highest in the city: HARVARD HILLS WATER CORPORATION · 215 people · 2018	1/3	SYR4
Lead	0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: WASHINGTON · 14,793 people · 2024 Highest in the city: 0.0035 mg/L — HARVARD HILLS WATER CORPORATION · 215 people · 2025	3/3	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 Washington

Supplier	Population served
WASHINGTON	14,793
IL AMERICAN-WASHINGTON ESTATES	1,143
HARVARD HILLS WATER CORPORATION	215

Frequently asked questions about Washington tap water

Is Washington tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 18 contaminants in the water serving Washington. 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 Washington?

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

What contaminants are in Washington's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Washington include Nitrate, Fluoride, Copper, Nitrate-Nitrite, Barium. 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.