Is Athens Tap Water Safe? Quality Report

Water source: Ground water
Ownership: Local government
Counties served: Menard

Compliance record

Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.

health-based violations

117

violations on file

still open

Violation	Type	Status	Period
Other	Monitoring	Resolved	2024-04-11
Other	Monitoring	Resolved	2024-04-11
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2023-10-01 → 2023-12-31
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2023-10-01 → 2023-12-31
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2023-10-01 → 2023-12-31
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2023-10-01 → 2023-12-31
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2023-10-01
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2023-10-01
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2023-10-01
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2023-10-01

Other contaminants detected

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 this system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Where a single sample came in higher than that percentile, it is noted under the bar. Formal violations are listed separately.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Detection rate	Source	Period
Nitrate	11000 µg/L 110% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 10000 µg/L worst single sample: 12000 µg/L	142/146	SYR4	2012–2019
Copper	63.6 µg/L 4.9% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L worst single sample: 180 µg/L	72/80	SYR4	2012–2017
Bromodichloromethane	19.025 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 22.34 µg/L	46/46	SYR4	2012–2019
Chloroform	32.185 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 38.09 µg/L	46/46	SYR4	2012–2019
Dibromochloromethane	23.4425 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 26.7 µg/L	46/46	SYR4	2012–2019
TTHM	80.675 µg/L 101% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 80 µg/L worst single sample: 105 µg/L	46/46	SYR4	2012–2019
Bromoform	23.36 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 39.6 µg/L	43/46	SYR4	2012–2019
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	23.66 µg/L 39% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L worst single sample: 27.3 µg/L	43/46	SYR4	2012–2019
Dibromoacetic Acid	7.35 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 8.7 µg/L	41/46	SYR4	2012–2019
Dichloroacetic Acid	15.55 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 18.4 µg/L	35/46	SYR4	2012–2019
Lead	15.75 µg/L 105% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L worst single sample: 130 µg/L	26/80	SYR4	2012–2017
Trichloroacetic Acid	11.9 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 13.4 µg/L	21/46	SYR4	2012–2019
Lead	0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L	19/19	LCR	2025
Nitrate-Nitrite	7700 µg/L 77% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	8/8	SYR4	2012–2019
Monobromoacetic Acid	1.683 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 1.71 µg/L	7/46	SYR4	2012–2019
Barium	4.85 µg/L 0.2% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L worst single sample: 4.9 µg/L	3/3	SYR4	2012–2018
Fluoride	940.7 µg/L 24% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L worst single sample: 953 µg/L	3/3	SYR4	2012–2018
Arsenic	1.4 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L	1/3	SYR4	2012–2018
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	1.46 pCi/L 29% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L	1/1	SYR4	2014
Selenium	2.3 µg/L 4.6% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L	1/3	SYR4	2012–2018

88 contaminants tested, none detected

1,1,1-Trichloroethane1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane11Cl-PF3OUdS2,4,5-TP2,4-D4:2 Fts6:2 Fts8:2 Fts9Cl-PF3ONSAdonaAntimony, TotalAtrazineBhc-GammaBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalChlorobenzeneCyanideCadmiumCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideChlordaneChromiumDichloromethaneDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDinosebDiquatEthylene DibromideEndothallEndrinEthylbenzeneHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHeptachlorHeptachlor EpoxideHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoMercuryMethoxychlorMonochloroacetic AcidNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaNitriteOxamylPfbaPFBSPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpaPfhpsPfhxaPFHXSPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPFOAPFOSPfpeaPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSimazineStyreneTetrachloroethyleneThallium, TotalTolueneTotal Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)ToxapheneTrichloroethyleneVinyl ChlorideXylenes, Totalcis-1,2-DichloroethyleneLithiumO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact: FRITZ, DERRICK
Phone: 217-636-8429
Email: [email protected]

Frequently asked questions about Athens

Is Athens tap water safe to drink?

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

What contaminants were detected in Athens's water?

EPA monitoring detected Nitrate, Copper, Bromodichloromethane, Chloroform, Dibromochloromethane, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does Athens serve?

Athens reports serving 4,575 people in Illinois, per its EPA record.

Has Athens had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 117 violations on file for Athens, of which 0 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 0 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.

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.