Water Quality and Safety

Skokie Water Quality and Safety Information

 The drinking water supplied to residents and businesses in the community is safe and rigorously tested on an ongoing basis. Skokie receives water from the City of Evanston.  Evanston's water treatment plant is municipally owned and operated.  Skokie's water supply meets all Illinois Environmental Protection Agency standards, and has consistently met these standards for many years. View the current Skokie Water Quality Report.

Lead

The issue of lead in water supplies is always of concern, especially for pregnant women and children. Skokie's water is tested for lead according to federal standards, and during the last testing cycle, Skokie's results were below the laboratory's detection limit of no more than five parts per billion. Lead in water does not come from water sources or water mains, but instead, is introduced into the water supply through household plumbing fixtures or through the service line that connects individual homes or businesses to the main. To protect Skokie's water supply from potential lead contamination, orthophosphate is added to Skokie's water supply to form a protective coating inside of water lines and plumbing fixtures to reduce the possible leaching of lead into the water.

View more information about lead and your drinking water (PDF).

More Information on Lead

Information on lead in drinking water, and steps that can be taken to minimize lead exposure is available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or online.

Residents concerned about lead in the water may wish to have their water privately tested. While the Village of Skokie does not endorse or recommend any particular testing labs, the following are available locally:

PFAS

In 2021, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) tested the City of Evanston’s water system for compounds known as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) as part of a statewide investigation of community water supplies. Illinois EPA testing determined that one PFAS chemical was detected in the drinking water just above the Illinois EPA Health-Based Guidance Level of 2.0 ppt for PFOA.  As a frame of reference, one part per trillion is roughly the equivalent of one drop in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The levels detected for PFOA were 2.2 ppt (9/2/2021), 2.3 ppt (11/16/2021), and 2.2 ppt (11/16/2021). For additional information on Evanston’s PFAS testing visit https://www.cityofevanston.org/government/departments/public-works/public-outreach/historical-pfsa-results. 

In addition to the 184 compounds tested regularly by the City of Evanston at their water treatment facility, the Village of Skokie Health and Human Services’ Environmental Health Division also collects 72+ water samples per month from various locations throughout the Village for analysis for coliform bacteria, lead, pH, phosphates and copper.
 
If you feel there may be a problem with your water, the Skokie Health and Human Services Department may be able to collect a water sample for testing if it is deemed necessary. In some cases, residents will be referred to a private laboratory for testing. If you would like to know more about the Village of Skokie's water testing program, call the Skokie Health Department's Environmental Health Division.