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Is there PFAS in Chicago water?

No PFAS were detected in any of the 8 samples EPA's program collected.

Chicago Serves 2.7 million people · 8 PFOA samples from 2 sampling points · Jan 2024 to Oct 2024 No PFAS detected
PFOA Perfluorooctanoic acid not detected
EPA 4
PFOS Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid not detected
EPA 4
Averages are for the worst sampling point, with non-detects counted as zero. Source: EPA UCMR 5.

Chicago is a public water system drawing on surface water, based in Chicago, Illinois, serving about 2.7 million people, including Chicago, Elmwood Park, Riverdale. Under EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule it was tested for 29 PFAS and lithium 8 times across 2 sampling points between Jan 2024 and Oct 2024.

Every PFAS detected

None of the 29 PFAS were found at or above EPA's minimum reporting levels (2 to 20 ppt depending on the compound).

Not detected: 9Cl-PF3ONS, NEtFOSAA, PFTrDA, PFTA, PFPeS, PFEESA, PFMBA, PFPeA, PFMPA, 8:2 FTS, 4:2 FTS, 6:2 FTS, PFBA, NMeFOSAA, ADONA, PFHpS, 11Cl-PF3OUdS, PFUnA, PFHxA, PFDoA, PFDA, PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFHpA, PFBS, HFPO-DA, NFDHA.

Lithium, tested in the same program: not detected.

What the EPA limits mean here

In April 2024 EPA set enforceable limits of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA and GenX, and a hazard index of 1 for mixtures. Utilities were given until 2029 to comply. In May 2026 EPA proposed keeping only the PFOA and PFOS limits and moving that deadline to 2031. Until that proposal is final, the 2024 limits stand.

Compliance is judged on a running annual average at each entry point, so we show the average at this system's worst sampling point next to its single highest result. UCMR 5 results do not by themselves put a utility in or out of compliance.

What you can do at home

No PFAS action is needed on these results. If your water tastes or smells of chlorine, a whole-house city water filter is the usual fix.

Other systems in Illinois

All 487 tested systems in Illinois

ZIP codes served

60601 60602 60603 60604 60605 60606 60607 60608 60609 60610 60611 60612 60613 60614 60615 60616 60617 60618 60619 60620 60621 60622 60623 60624 60625 60626 60628 60629 60630 60631 60632 60633 60634 60636 60637 60638 60639 60640 60641 60642 60643 60644 60645 60646 60647 60649 60651 60652 60653 60654 60655 60656 60657 60659 60660 60661 60666 60707 60827

As reported by the utility to EPA. Neighbouring ZIPs are often split between systems; your water bill names yours.

Cite this page

Well & Tap. "PFAS in Chicago water: EPA UCMR 5 results." Data: U.S. EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, final release August 2026, PWSID IL0316000. https://wellandtap.com/pfas/illinois/chicago/

About this data

Source: U.S. EPA, UCMR 5 occurrence data, final release August 2026 (PWSID IL0316000). Population: EPA SDWIS. Averages count results below the reporting level as zero, the same convention EPA uses for running annual averages. Full method.