Lead in Illinois well water
In Illinois, 2% of 5,517 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for lead (15 ug/L).
Lead in well water almost always comes from household plumbing and older fixtures, not the aquifer, and corrosive (low pH) well water makes it worse. There is no safe level for children; it harms brain development.
Check your lead number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your Illinois well for lead
Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.
Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report
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Systems that remove lead
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Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
For lead
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For lead
Acid neutralizing filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,200
Raises pH so plumbing stops leaching lead and copper.
For lead
Aquasana SmartFlow reverse osmosis
under-sink or countertop, about $225
Certified to NSF/ANSI 58 and 53 to reduce arsenic (96%, pentavalent), fluoride (90%), lead (99%), nitrate, nitrite and PFOA/PFOS at the kitchen tap, with a remineralizer.
Rather have it installed and sized for your well? Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company.
Where to get a well tested for lead in Illinois: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (15 ug/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton | 255 | 60% | 0 | 300 ug/L | |
| Randolph | 51 | 16% | 0 | 400 ug/L | |
| St. Clair | 79 | 49% | 0 | 100 ug/L | |
| Peoria | 89 | 20% | 0 | 2,000 ug/L | |
| McDonough | 67 | 45% | 0 | 800 ug/L | |
| Woodford | 37 | 5% | 0 | 200 ug/L | |
| Mason | 50 | 24% | 0 | 200 ug/L | |
| McLean | 81 | 9% | 0 | 200 ug/L | |
| Tazewell | 106 | 17% | 0 | 200 ug/L | |
| Lake | 321 | 18% | 0 | 200 ug/L | |
| Rock Island | 122 | 12% | 0 | 200 ug/L | |
| Champaign | 145 | 10% | 0 | 900 ug/L | |
| Bureau | 156 | 4% | 0 | 200 ug/L | |
| Madison | 172 | 27% | 0 | 100 ug/L | |
| Cook | 550 | 47% | 0 | 17.9 ug/L |
- Buckheart township, Fulton County30% of 83
- Putman township, Fulton County28% of 151
- Tilden precinct, Randolph County15% of 33
- Bethel township, McDonough County2% of 44
- Chicago, Cook County2% of 59
- Mineral township, Bureau County1% of 75
- Danville township, Vermilion County0% of 32
- Wheeling township, Cook County0% of 88
- Elk Grove township, Cook County0% of 74
- Joliet township, Will County0% of 47
- Palatine township, Cook County0% of 42
- Bloom township, Cook County0% of 51
- Aurora township, Kane County0% of 84
- York township, DuPage County0% of 87
- Hanover township, Cook County0% of 40
- Lockport township, Will County0% of 31
- Schaumburg township, Cook County0% of 49
- Addison township, DuPage County0% of 45
- Warren township, Lake County0% of 32
- Nunda township, McHenry County0% of 48
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. lead counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.