Drinking water alerts
To find boil orders and other drinking water alert information for public water supplies in your area start with your local public health department.
Where does my water come from?
Illinois drinking water may come from municipal water supplies or private wells, depending on where you live. The tools below can help you identify the source of your water.
- Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Fact Sheets Source Water Assessment Program Factsheets describe water sources for community and non-community water supplies, including susceptibility to contamination, and documentation/recommendation of source water protection efforts. Browse by county or search by keyword in the facility name.
- ILWATER - Illinois Water Well Internet Map Service On-line database of over 275,000 Illinois water and related well records, with a map interface, provided by the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS). Use the map to find a well number and basic info about the well. Additional information about wells can be requested from the Geological Records Unit (http://isgs.illinois.edu/geological-records-unit) at the Illinois State Geological Survey by using the well number.
- Domestic Well and Other Groundwater Data (aquifer maps) Data provided by the Illinois State Water Survey's Groundwater Information program, which has on file more than 3.5 million hydrologic records, including water well construction records and information on groundwater quality and quantity.Users must register, and there are restrictions on some data. Individual well owners can obtain data on their own well free of charge. More extensive data provided on a fee basis.
- Illinois Water Utilities Utility profiles from Illinois Commerce Commission. Select "Water" from the
Maps and GIS Tools
- Community Surface Water Supplies Year 2000 (printed map) This map is not available online due to Homeland Security concerns. Follow link for instructions for requesting a copy of the map.
- Drinking Water Branch - interactive map Access the Drinking Water Watch data via a clickable map of the Illinois counties, from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
- Water Supply Planning Interactive Maps (ISWS) Explore water use and purchase and shallow bedrock aquifers.
- Illinois Community Water Supply Wells 2003 (online map) Depicts community water supply wells in relation to the major aquifer systems in Illinois. A community water supply is defined as "a public water system which serves at least 15 service connections used by residents or regularly serves at least 25 residents for at least 60 days per year." Only community wells classified as active in the ISWS Public-Industrial-Commercial Survey database for the Year 2003 are shown.
- ILWater - Illinois Water Well Internet Map Service On-line database of over 275,000 Illinois water and related well records, with a map interface, provided by the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS). Use the map to find a well number and basic info about the well. Additional information about wells can be requested from the Geological Records Unit (http://isgs.illinois.edu/geological-records-unit) at the Illinois State Geological Survey by using the well number.
- Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Web Mapping Tool Locate, create, and print maps of any size area within Illinois. Layers include Water Quality, Water Resources, Water Use (from ISWS' Illinois Water Inventory Program data), and more.
- USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) service from The National Map The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) represents the water drainage network of the United States with features such as rivers, streams, canals, lakes, ponds, coastline, dams, and streamgages.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Water Quality
- University of Illinois Water Quality ReportsCampus Facilities and Services reports on the quality of campus drinking water supplies are issued annually by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Facilities and Services.
What is in my water?
Water quality information is available from a variety of sources, depending on the type of supply. The tools below can help you become informed about the quality of your water.
- Drinking Water Watch Characteristics of each Illinois water supply facility, including the source (e.g., ground water or surface water) used. You can browse all facilities by county or search for specific facilities. The Glossary link on the left side of the database screen defines codes used in database records. Maintained by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
- Environmental Working Group Tap Water Database Enter zip code for reports of environmental contaminants reported from area suppliers.
- Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Annual Compliance Reports Annual reports satisfying Section 1414(c)(3) of the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
- Notices to Public Water Supply Users of Groundwater Contamination issued by Illinois EPA as required by the Illinois Right-to-Know 2009 law regarding contamination that has affected public water supplies that use wells for their primary drinking water source, or as a back-up source to lake water or river water.
- Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Fact Sheets Source Water Assessment Program Factsheets describe water sources for community and non-community water supplies, including susceptibility to contamination, and documentation/recommendation of source water protection efforts. Browse by county or search by keyword in the facility name.
Water Source, Quality, and Quantity Data
- Domestic Well and Other Groundwater Data (aquifer maps) Data provided by the Illinois State Water Survey's Groundwater Information program, which has on file more than 3.5 million hydrologic records, including water well construction records and information on groundwater quality and quantity.Users must register, and there are restrictions on some data. Individual well owners can obtain data on their own well free of charge. More extensive data provided on a fee basis.
- Drinking Water Watch Characteristics of each Illinois water supply facility, including the source (e.g., ground water or surface water) used. You can browse all facilities by county or search for specific facilities. The Glossary link on the left side of the database screen defines codes used in database records. Maintained by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
- EPA Water Quality Data Portal The Water Quality Portal (WQP) is the mechanism for anyone, including the public, to retrieve water monitoring data from EPA.
- Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Annual Compliance Reports Annual reports satisfying Section 1414(c)(3) of the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
- Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) data Search by permittee name or identifier and year, and view or discharge water quality from Discharge Monitoring Reports.
- List of Impaired Waters (303d List, Illinois) The 303d List is a report on the water quality of Illinois lakes, rivers, and streams produced biennially by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). It is named for section 303d of the Clean Water Act, and addresses requirements set forth in that section of the act in Appendix A. In addition, Appendix B of the report addresses water quality in relation to possible uses, corresponding to section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act.
- Shallow Groundwater Wells Network Well "depth to water" monitoring for Illinois wells from the Water & Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program of the Illinois State Water Survey. Data provides an indication of groundwater availability.
- Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Fact Sheets Source Water Assessment Program Factsheets describe water sources for community and non-community water supplies, including susceptibility to contamination, and documentation/recommendation of source water protection efforts. Browse by county or search by keyword in the facility name.
Test Your Water
- Well Sampling for Coliform and Nitrate Fact SheetIllinois Department of Public Health
- Illinois Public Health Departments (map)Contact your regional or local department for assistance with well testing, including test kits and lists of accredited laboratories.
- Understanding Your Water Quality AnalysisA guide for private well owners published in 2014 by the Illinois State Water Survey. ISWS Circular no. 185.