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Chicago is a city known for its deep dish pizza, baseball team, and impressive architecture, it is a popular tourist destination. Because of this, both tourists and locals alike will undoubtedly be using tap water, whether it is for bathing, washing dishes, or drinking. In terms of the safety of Chicago’s water supply, Chicago’s water meets all federal and local requirements to be considered safe drinking water, but there may be a few contaminants still present to look out for.
Chicago’s water supply originates in Lake Michigan, the second largest of the Great Lakes. It draws its water exclusively from Lake Michigan, and it does not tap into any groundwater sources to supplement its water supply. Through Lake Michigan, Chicago supplies nearly one billion gallons of water to residents daily (1).
Tap water in Chicago “meets and exceeds all standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA), the Illinois EPA and the drinking water industry” (2). Tests are run daily to ensure their water continues to be up to standard, and the local government implemented a plan for corrosion control in their pipes to lessen the risk of lead exposure. Tests are run on even chemicals that are unenforceable, like certain types of PFAS, and none were detected in their water.
That being said, low amounts of certain contaminants can still be found in Chicago drinking water, and it is important to be aware of the potential health effects of these contaminants.
Lead pipes, often installed in houses before 1986, is the number one cause of lead entering a water supply. Out of any U.S. city, Chicago has the most lead pipes due to city codes from before the 1980’s (3). When water flows through old pipes, it slowly chips away at the metal in a process called corrosion. Those little chips of metal contain lead, which contaminates the water supply. Less than ten years ago, nearly 70% of Chicago homes tested had traces oflead in their water (4).
That being said, the city of Chicago continues to work to fix this issue. Public service lines are now coated in acorrosion-control effort, limiting lead contamination through public lines (5). While it is up to the individual to replace their private service lines, the local government provides residents with free water quality testing so they can check if their water is contaminated with lead (2). Additionally, Chicago offers free private line replacement for low-income homeowners, and they will waive $5,000 off of permit fees from other homeowners who choose to replace their private lead-based service lines (6).
Currently, 400,000 service lead pipes supply water to nearly 2.7 million people in Chicago alone (7). Residents are encouraged to take advantage of Chicago’s free water testing kits to know if their water contains lead. Consuming small amounts of lead over the span of years can put you at risk of lead poisoning, with effects like high blood pressure and decreased kidney function. Children are even more susceptible to lead poisoning, which can lead to anemia, hyperactivity, and behavioral problems.
Chicago’s drinking water is considered safe by EPA standards, but total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are still found in the water. The EPA limit for total TTHMs in a water supply is 80 parts per billion, and Chicago’s water supply contains 32.6 parts per billion, according to their most recent water quality report (6). It is common practice in many cities to add chlorine to the water supply as a disinfectant, as it is an effective way to “prevent bacteria from growing in the pipes” (8).
Studies have shown that using chlorine as a disinfectant produces TTHMs, a substance that the EPA links to kidney, liver, and colon cancer. It is suggested to be wary of consuming even small doses of TTHMs, as research is still being conducted on the long-term effects of TTHMs.
Many radioactive contaminants can find their way into your water supply. Radioactive contaminants tend to be naturally occurring, so they may already be in soil that seeps into groundwater and surface water supplies. Additionally, proximity to oil production, gas production, and mining activities may increase radioactive contaminants entering your water supply.
Radioactive contaminants in Chicago’s water supply are well under the EPA required limit, but there are still traces of radium 226, radium 228, and gross alpha present in the water (6).
Radium exposure in low levels is fairly common, since radium can be found in anything from rocks to plants to food. Low levels of radium exposure are not linked to any negative health effects (9). However, continual exposure to higher levels of radium may increase the risk of lung and bone cancer, anemia, cataracts, and reduced bone growth. Elevated gross alpha exposure is connected to bone and sinus cancer, anemia, and kidney damage (10).
To remove unwanted contaminants from your water, consider a water filter that is lab-tested to remove the contaminants you are looking for. In order to avoid expensive fees of installing a whole new water filter, Seychelle offers water pitchers that can be filled directly from the tap. To ensure your water is free of lead and TTHMs, try Seychelle’s regular water pitcher. For a more robust filter, the radiological water pitcher will tackle gross alpha and other radioactive contaminants present in the water, on top of filtering our chemical and inorganic contaminants.
Drinking water in Chicago meets and exceeds all standards put in place by federal and local agencies. Some people, however, prefer to be extra cautious with their drinking water and choose to remove contaminants that still find themselves in the water. For a simple and cost effective way to do so, consider a Seychelle water pitcher.
Can I drink the tap water in Chicago?
Yes. Chicago’s tap water is considered safe to drink.
How clean is the water in Chicago?
Chicago drinking water meets and exceeds all EPA requirements for safe drinking water.
Does boiling water remove chlorine?
Yes. Boiling water will remove chlorine and reduce the amount of TTHMs in your water.
References
The Nature Conservancy,https://water.nature.org/waterblueprint/city/chicago/#/c=6:43.33116:-86.82292
City of Chicago,https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/water/supp_info/FAQ%20on%20Water%20Quality.pdf
Pien Huang,NPR,https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/04/01/1241470280/lead-pipes-plumbing-water-contamination
Lead-Safe Chicago,https://www.leadsafechicago.org/#:~:text=And%20Chicago's%20drinking%20water%20meets,from%20dissolving%20into%20our%20water.
City of Chicago,https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/water/supp_info/Consumer_ConfidenceReports.html
City of Chicago,https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/water/supp_info/water_appearance.html
Commonwealth of Massachusetts,https://www.mass.gov/info-details/health-effects-of-radium-radiation-exposure
New Jersey Department of Health,https://www.nj.gov/health/ceohs/environmental-occupational/private-well-outreach/GrossAlpha.pdf
