Illinois American-Pontiac

What is a Water Quality Report? Illinois American Water publishes an annual document detailing your municipal water quality in accordance with state and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) regulations. This report aims to enhance understanding of water quality standards and highlight the importance of protecting our water resources.

At our Belleville research laboratory, we perform thousands of tests annually, monitoring water quality throughout the treatment and delivery process. In 2017, we tested for hundreds of contaminants, including those with federal and state maximum allowable levels. This report provides a summary of 2017's water quality results, detailing what your water contains.

Illinois American Water's Pontiac District voluntarily participates in the USEPA's Partnership For Safe Water program, designed to achieve operational excellence in water treatment. In 2015, our Pontiac facility earned the prestigious 15-year Director's Award under this program, recognizing utilities that achieve operational excellence by voluntarily optimizing their treatment facilities and adopting more stringent performance goals than required by regulations. We maintained these standards throughout 2017.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) considers all surface water sources potentially vulnerable to contamination, requiring mandatory treatment including coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. The Pontiac Water Treatment Facility draws water from the Vermilion River and alternately stores/withdraws water from a nearby reservoir. The Vermilion River is affected by agricultural, municipal, and industrial activities, with seasonal fluctuations in farm chemicals like nitrates. Comprehensive monitoring and treatment ensure excellent water quality despite variations in source water.

The IEPA has completed a source water assessment for Pontiac, available upon request by contacting Elizabeth Doellman, Supervisor of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance at 217-373-3273. For detailed source water assessments, visit the Illinois EPA website.

Environmental stewardship is crucial for ensuring adequate water supply for future generations. Our efforts include educational programs reaching thousands of students yearly through school visits and our Mobile Education Center. We partner with Illinois leaders on STEM education and participate in community events like the Clean Water Celebration in Peoria and Water Festival in Godfrey.

We actively engage in watershed conservation through "It's Our River Day" celebrations and volunteer for river cleanup efforts with Illinois River Sweep, Vermillion River Clean Up, and other initiatives. Since 2009, our Environmental Grant Program has awarded over $195,000 to 51+ Illinois water protection projects, with $20,000 provided in 2017 alone for seven environmental projects.

Additionally, we've implemented over 35 pharmaceutical disposal programs statewide, preventing medication flushing and ensuring proper disposal of hundreds of thousands of pounds of unwanted medicines.

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