SPRINGFIELD, IL (Chambana Today) – The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) has notified ten Community Water Systems (CWS) across the state of potential PFAS exposure risks tied to emergency water connections. While the regular water supplies of these systems comply with the state’s new groundwater quality standards, each has the capacity to draw from neighboring systems recently identified with PFAS levels above regulatory limits.

The notification follows the April 14 release in which Illinois EPA informed 21 primary CWSs of elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of man-made chemicals associated with health risks. These levels were found to exceed the state’s newly enacted standards, adopted on April 11, 2025, by the Illinois Pollution Control Board.

Among the ten emergency-connected systems now under scrutiny are municipalities such as Minooka, Glen Carbon, Peoria Heights, and Loves Park. Collectively, these systems serve an estimated 78,386 residents, who are entitled under Illinois Right-to-Know laws to be informed when any threat of exposure to groundwater contaminants exceeds Class I standards.

Though these ten systems use their emergency water connections only during supply disruptions, Illinois law mandates notification to all end users due to the potential exposure risk. CWS operators must send notices via mail, email, postcard, text, or phone within five business days of receiving the EPA’s official notice and must provide written confirmation of the notification within seven days.

PFAS, which include compounds such as PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFBS, and GenX (HFPO-DA), have been linked to serious health concerns including cancer, hormonal disruption, and immune system damage. The newly adopted limits—such as 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFHxS—align Illinois standards with the latest scientific data.

This action follows a years-long PFAS monitoring initiative by Illinois EPA from 2020–2021 and complements ongoing national testing under the U.S. EPA’s fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), running from 2023 to 2025.

Residents can access further information, including exposure reduction strategies and health risks, through official sources like the Illinois EPA PFAS page, the IDPH, and the CDC’s ATSDR PFAS hub.

A full list of affected systems, contamination levels, and public health notices is available on the Illinois EPA website at epa.illinois.gov.