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Galesburgwater quality report, rewritten

Serves
31,620
Connections
12,648
Water source
Groundwater
Based in
Galesburg, IL
County
Knox
Owner
Local government

ZIP codes served: 61401, 61410, 61430, 61439, 61448, 61453

PWSID IL09502002026 edition · EPA data

Read this first

  • PFOA was found in two of 2 samples, highest 14 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
  • Copper The 90th-percentile result was 1.6 ppm, above the 1.3 ppm action level.
  • PFOS was found in one of 2 samples, highest 4.2 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

No health-based violations on file since 2016.

What handles it

What was found

Highlighted: above the health goal. Circled: above the legal limit in at least one sample. Every scale puts the legal line at its middle.

PFOA

Comes from the source

14ppt

Highest of 2 samples; found in two

Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

What handles it

  • NSF/ANSI 53Look for: PFOA ReductionAlso listed as: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
  • NSF/ANSI 58Look for: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Feb. 27, 2023 to Aug. 24, 2023. Each blue tick is one sample where it was found.

Copper

Comes from pipes, often your own

1.6ppm

90th percentile, 2006

The 90th-percentile result was 1.6 ppm, above the 1.3 ppm action level.

What handles it

EPA SDWIS, lead and copper monitoring periods ending 2002 to 2006. The pointer marks the latest period; each blue tick is an earlier one.

PFOS

Comes from the source

4.2ppt

Highest of 2 samples; found in one

Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

What handles it

  • NSF/ANSI 53Look for: PFOS ReductionAlso listed as: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)
  • NSF/ANSI 58Look for: Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)

EPA UCMR 5, samples taken on Feb. 27, 2023. Each blue tick is one sample where it was found.

PFBS

Comes from the source

6.6ppt

Highest of 2 samples; found in two

Below EPA’s hazard index benchmark of 2,000 ppt. PFBS has no legal limit or health goal of its own.

What handles it

EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Feb. 27, 2023 to Aug. 24, 2023. Each blue tick is one sample where it was found.

Also found, with no federal limit

EPA measured these PFAS to learn how often they occur. None has a legal limit or a health goal yet.

CompoundHighest sampleFound inCertification claim
PFBA85 ppt2 of 2None covers it
PFPeA15 ppt2 of 2None covers it

Tested and not found

Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from Jan. 18, 2023 to Aug. 24, 2023. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.

  • 11Cl-PF3OUdS
  • 4:2 FTS
  • 6:2 FTS
  • 8:2 FTS
  • 9Cl-PF3ONS
  • ADONA
  • HFPO-DA (GenX)
  • Lead
  • Lithium
  • NEtFOSAA
  • NFDHA
  • NMeFOSAA
  • PFDA
  • PFDoA
  • PFEESA
  • PFHpA
  • PFHpS
  • PFHxA
  • PFHxS
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFNA
  • PFPeS
  • PFTA
  • PFTrDA
  • PFUnA

Violations since 2016

No health-based violations on file with EPA since 2016.

What handles it

A certification covers specific claims, not a whole standard. Look for these claims on the certifier’s listing, not the box. Wording varies a little: NSF writes “Lead Reduction,” WQA just “Lead.”

  • NSF/ANSI 53

    Claims: PFOA Reduction, Copper Reduction, PFOS Reduction

    For: PFOA, Copper, PFOS

  • NSF/ANSI 58

    Claims: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Copper Reduction, Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)

    For: PFOA, Copper, PFOS

At the tap, or for the whole house?

Lead and copper usually come from pipes and fixtures inside or near your home. A whole-house system sits where water enters, so it cannot catch what your own plumbing adds after it. For those, the filter that counts is the one at the tap. How whole-house systems compare.

Compare five-year costs

Filters with those claims on a certifier’s listing

TapBuff earns a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It does not change which standard or filter we name. As an Amazon Associate, TapBuff earns from qualifying purchases. How TapBuff makes money

What this report cannot tell you

  • Levels of everything else. Federal bulk data carries results for PFAS, lithium, lead and copper, and violations for the rest. Nitrate, arsenic, disinfection byproducts and other levels are in Galesburg’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.
  • Your own plumbing. Lead results are the 90th percentile across homes the utility samples. Your home’s service line, solder and fixtures decide yours. A certified lab test is the only way to know.
  • Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q2; UCMR 5 samples are from Jan. 18, 2023 to Aug. 24, 2023.

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