Is Braidwood, IL tap water safe?
The short answer
Neither of the 2 utilities serving Braidwood has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Illinois’s records.
Braidwood, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 86 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from Braidwood is moderately hard, 103 mg/L (6 grains per gallon). How Illinois’s water compares.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Braidwood’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Braidwood
Illinois · serves 6,194 people · about 3,200 in Braidwood
2 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 86 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark. Hardness: moderately hard, 103 mg/L (6 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Wilmington
Illinois · serves 5,700 people · under 100 in Braidwood
3 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.3 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: hard, 155 mg/L (9.1 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Braidwood’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic, Lead
Aquasana SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2)
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic, Lead
Brondell Capella RC250 Reverse Osmosis System
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic, Lead
Water testing near Braidwood
The 3 labs Illinois certifies closest to Braidwood, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Will County Health Department
Joliet, IL · about 18 miles
Certified for bacteria
ETP Labs, Inc.
Willowbrook, IL · about 36 miles
Certified for bacteria
Eurofins Built Environment Testing Central-Chicago
Naperville, IL · about 37 miles
Certified for bacteria
Illinois Department of Public Health: Coliform bacteria and nitrate testing for private wells, with sample bottles from your local health department, or from the department's nearest regional office where there is none. You mail the sample to the lab, and results come back through the health department. Well Sampling for Coliform & Nitrate, Illinois Department of Public Health.
All 30 certified labs for IllinoisWhich ZIP codes are in Braidwood: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: Illinois Department of Public Health, certified water microbiology laboratories; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
What to do next
- Read Braidwood’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- About LithiumWhat it does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.About Lithium
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water