Water Health Check Report
Chicago, IL
Chicago · Surface water source
Concerning — with 6 concerns
Chicago has 1 contaminant above EPA legal limits and 5 above EWG health guidelines. No PFAS detected in UCMR5 sampling
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Lead—source matters
Lead in tap water comes from household plumbing, not the source water or treatment plant. Chicago water leaves the treatment plant lead-free. Risk depends on your building's internal plumbing—highest in homes built before 1986, when lead solder was common. A NSF/ANSI 53 certified pitcher or under-sink filter removes lead at point of use.
PFAS—25 compounds tested, none detected
EPA UCMR5 monitoring found no PFAS above the minimum reporting level in Chicago's water supply. This is a meaningful result: PFAS have been detected in roughly half of all tested US public water systems.
Source: EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025) · 25 compounds tested including all regulated PFAS
Contaminants tested
35 total · 5 above EWG guideline| Contaminant | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|
ND NTU | Above EPA limit | |
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) CAS Various | 32.6 ppb | Above guideline |
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) CAS Various | 16.4 ppb | Above guideline |
Radium 226+228 CAS Various | 0.95 pCi/L | Above guideline |
Nitrate CAS 14797-55-8 | 1.7 ppm | Above guideline |
Lead CAS 7439-92-1 | 8.8 ppb | Above guideline |
Fluoride CAS 16984-48-8 | 0.76 ppm | Within limits |
Barium CAS 7440-39-3 | 0.02 ppm | Within limits |
Copper CAS 7440-50-8 | 0.05 ppm | Within limits |
PFHpS (perfluoroheptane sulfonic acid) CAS 375-92-8 | ND | Not detected |
8:2 FTS (8:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid) CAS 39108-34-4 | ND | Not detected |
4:2 FTS (4:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid) CAS 757124-72-4 | ND | Not detected |
6:2 FTS (6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid) CAS 27619-97-2 | ND | Not detected |
PFBA (perfluorobutanoic acid) CAS 375-22-4 | ND | Not detected |
PFDA (perfluorodecanoic acid) CAS 335-76-2 | ND | Not detected |
ADONA (4,8-dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid) CAS 919005-14-4 | ND | Not detected |
ND | Not detected | |
ND | Not detected | |
PFUnA (perfluoroundecanoic acid) CAS 2058-94-8 | ND | Not detected |
PFHxA (perfluorohexanoic acid) CAS 307-24-4 | ND | Not detected |
PFHpA (perfluoroheptanoic acid) CAS 375-85-9 | ND | Not detected |
PFDoA (perfluorododecanoic acid) CAS 307-55-1 | ND | Not detected |
PFHxS (perfluorohexane sulfonic acid) CAS 355-46-4 | ND | Not detected |
PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) CAS 335-67-1 | ND | Not detected |
PFNA (perfluorononanoic acid) CAS 375-95-1 | ND | Not detected |
PFBS (perfluorobutane sulfonic acid) CAS 375-73-5 | ND | Not detected |
PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) CAS 1763-23-1 | ND | Not detected |
HFPO-DA / GenX (hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid) CAS 13252-13-6 | ND | Not detected |
PFPeS (perfluoropentane sulfonic acid) CAS 2706-91-4 | ND | Not detected |
PFPeA (perfluoropentanoic acid) CAS 2706-90-3 | ND | Not detected |
PFTA (perfluorotetradecanoic acid) CAS 376-06-7 | ND | Not detected |
PFTrDA (perfluorotridecanoic acid) CAS 72629-94-8 | ND | Not detected |
ND | Not detected | |
ND | Not detected | |
Lithium CAS 7439-93-2 | ND | Not detected |
Filter recommendation
6 contaminants above guidelines. Here's what removes them.
A guided 4-question flow matches you to the right filter for your setup, budget, and household.
Want to go further than filtration?
Your report shows 6 contaminants above health guidelines. A specialist at Drawn can give you an expert read on your specific profile — what to prioritise, which filters actually address it, and what optimisation looks like for your household.
What a consultation covers
- Your contaminant profile explained in plain English
- Filter recommendations matched to what's actually in your water
- Optimisation options for households ready for that conversation
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Data sources
Status flags compare detected levels against both EPA legal limits and EWG health-based guidelines—which are stricter and science-derived, independent of political feasibility.