Is Rock Island Tap Water Safe? Quality Report

Water source: Surface water
Ownership: Local government
Counties served: Rock Island

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

137

violations on file

still open

Violation	Type	Status	Period
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	1988-08-01 → 1989-07-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	1988-08-01 → 1989-07-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	1988-08-01 → 1989-07-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	1988-08-01 → 1989-07-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	1988-08-01 → 1989-07-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	1988-08-01 → 1989-07-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	1988-08-01 → 1989-07-31
MCL	Health-based	Archived	1987-08-01 → 1988-07-31
MCL	Health-based	Archived	1987-08-01 → 1988-07-31
MCL	Health-based	Archived	1987-08-01 → 1988-07-31

PFAS detected

PFAS are industrial “forever chemicals”. These are the EPA's latest nationwide test results (2023–2025).

Contaminant	Max	Detection rate	Period
Pfba	0.0160 µg/L	4/4	2023

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
Bromodichloromethane	8.383 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 13.22 µg/L	128/128	SYR4	2012–2019
Chloroform	63.875 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 87.75 µg/L	128/128	SYR4	2012–2019
TTHM	71.365 µg/L 89% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L worst single sample: 101.65 µg/L	128/128	SYR4	2012–2019
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	56 µg/L 93% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L worst single sample: 74.9 µg/L	128/128	SYR4	2012–2019
Trichloroacetic Acid	23.52 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 32.7 µg/L	128/128	SYR4	2012–2019
Dichloroacetic Acid	34.85 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 44 µg/L	126/128	SYR4	2012–2019
Copper	186 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L worst single sample: 360 µg/L	59/60	SYR4	2014–2017
Dibromochloromethane	4.2654 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 4.28 µg/L	28/128	SYR4	2012–2019
Monobromoacetic Acid	13.84 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 19.6 µg/L	19/128	SYR4	2012–2019
Lead	0.0056 mg/L 37% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L	18/18	LCR	2025
Nitrate	2600 µg/L 26% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	18/18	SYR4	2012–2019
Monochloroacetic Acid	3.796 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 4.16 µg/L	14/128	SYR4	2012–2019
Lead	4.76 µg/L 32% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L worst single sample: 5.3 µg/L	13/60	SYR4	2014–2017
Barium	35.65 µg/L 1.8% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L worst single sample: 36 µg/L	8/8	SYR4	2012–2019
Fluoride	1184.5 µg/L 30% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L worst single sample: 1230 µg/L	8/8	SYR4	2012–2019
Nitrate-Nitrite	2060 µg/L 21% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L worst single sample: 2100 µg/L	3/3	SYR4	2012–2018
Arsenic	1.2 µg/L 12% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L	2/8	SYR4	2012–2019

90 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, TotalBromoformChlorobenzeneCyanideCadmiumCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideChlordaneChromiumCombined Radium (-226 And -228)DichloromethaneDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDibromoacetic AcidDinosebDiquatEthylene DibromideEndothallEndrinEthylbenzeneHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHeptachlorHeptachlor EpoxideHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoMercuryMethoxychlorNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaNitriteOxamylPFBSPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpaPfhpsPfhxaPFHXSPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPFOAPFOSPfpeaPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSeleniumSimazineStyreneTetrachloroethyleneThallium, TotalTolueneTotal Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)ToxapheneTrichloroethyleneVinyl ChlorideXylenes, Totalcis-1,2-DichloroethyleneLithiumO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact: BARTELS, MICHAEL
Phone: 309-732-2239
Email: [email protected]

Frequently asked questions about Rock Island

Is Rock Island tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 18 contaminants in Rock Island'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 Rock Island's water?

EPA monitoring detected Bromodichloromethane, Chloroform, TTHM, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Trichloroacetic Acid, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does Rock Island serve?

Rock Island reports serving 39,018 people in Illinois, per its EPA record.

Has Rock Island had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 137 violations on file for Rock Island, of which 19 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 1 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.