Water Quality: Ottawa, IL
7 water systems • 19,288 people served
Multiple Health ViolationsWater Quality Summary
Ottawa is served by 7 public water systems with a combined service population of 19,288 people, and has 470 EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record. Critically, 61 of those are health-based violations, meaning one or more contaminants were detected above EPA-established safe levels — a serious public health concern. Ottawa's violation count is 1531% above the national average for Illinois. Contaminants associated with violations include Disinfection Byproducts, Stage 2 DBP, Total Organic Carbon.
Contaminants Found
Broad category of chemicals formed during disinfection, associated with increased cancer risk and adverse reproductive effects.
Common source: Reaction of disinfectants (chlorine, ozone, chloramines) with organic matter
Trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids that increase cancer risk and may cause adverse reproductive outcomes.
Common source: Chlorine disinfection reacting with natural organic matter in source water
EPA limit: TTHM: 0.080 mg/L; HAA5: 0.060 mg/L
Not a direct health risk but reacts with disinfectants to form carcinogenic byproducts such as trihalomethanes.
Common source: Decaying plant material, algae, soil organic matter in source water
EPA limit: Treatment technique (must reduce TOC based on source water level)
Water Systems Serving Ottawa
| System Name | PWSID | Source | Population | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTTAWA | IL0990800 | Groundwater | 18,097 | 222 |
| NAPLATE | IL0990600 | Groundwater | 465 | 12 |
| FIELDS HILL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION | IL0995150 | Groundwater | 312 | 132 |
| RETZ ADDN IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION | IL0995400 | Groundwater | 168 | 32 |
| LA SALLE COUNTY NURSING HOME | IL0995329 | Groundwater | 100 | 10 |
| LAND AND WTR ASSN | IL0995050 | Groundwater | 83 | 57 |
| OAKLANE SBDV | IL0995250 | Groundwater | 63 | 5 |
Concerned About Your Water?
A home water filter can remove common contaminants. NSF-certified filters are tested against EPA standards.
Consider a reverse osmosis system for comprehensive filtration or a carbon filter for basic improvement.
Other Cities in Illinois
Data Sources
Drinking water violation data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Data includes all recorded violations for active community water systems.