Is Highwood, IL tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 2 utilities serving Highwood has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Illinois’s records: Highwood.
Highwood, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the action level. The worst: Lead at 76 ppb, above the action level.
The water from Highwood is hard, typically 135 mg/L (7.9 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 Highwood’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Highwood
Illinois · serves 5,335 people · about 3,900 in Highwood
1 result above the action level. The worst: Lead at 76 ppb, above the action level. Hardness: hard, typically 135 mg/L (7.9 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Highland Park
Illinois · serves 30,176 people · about 910 in Highwood
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 11 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: hard, 140 mg/L (8.2 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 Highwood’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
Disclosure: 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
Brita Tahoe Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB60, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Brita Everyday Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB46, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Water testing near Highwood
The 3 labs Illinois certifies closest to Highwood, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Lake County Environmental Laboratory
Libertyville, IL · about 9 miles
Certified for bacteria
Culligan Analytical Laboratory
Rosemont, IL · about 16 miles
Certified for bacteria
Pace Analytical Services, LLC - McHenry
McHenry, IL · about 26 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 IllinoisZIP codes in Highwood
Which ZIP codes are in Highwood: 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.
Near Highwood
Other towns in Lake County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Highwood’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for LeadRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for lead, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water