Throughout the water purification process, chemists and plant operators at the CWLP Water Purification Plant perform approximately 70 analytical tests on the purified water each day to ensure it meets or exceeds Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) standards for microbiological and chemical content. Many samples are also sent to the IEPA for chemical analysis.  In this way, the utility assures that the product leaving the Purification Plant will be of the highest possible quality.

Altogether the levels of about 150 different chemicals and water quality parameters are checked and the analytical results are compared to the maximum contaminant level (MCL) allowed for chemicals by the IEPA. As of the most recent test dates, in all cases, chemical levels in Springfield's drinking water fell below the MCLs established by the IEPA.

Among the chemicals tested for are: alachlor, ammonia, arsenic, atrazine, barium, benzene, calcium, carbon tetrachloride, chlordane, chlorine, cyanide, DDT, heptachlor, iron, lead, lindane, magnesium, manganese, mercury, nickel, nitrate, selenium, sodium, sulfate, vinyl chloride, and zinc.

Each spring, CWLP prepares a Water Quality Report for our customers detailing the results of drinking water tests performed during the preceding year.

For more information about CWLP's water purification process, or about the Water Division in general, select any of the topics or subtopics listed in the left-hand column of this page.

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Last update: 08/01/11