Is Johnsburg, IL tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 2 utilities serving Johnsburg has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Illinois’s records: IL American - Whispering Hills.
IL American - Whispering Hills, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOA at 8.3 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
The water from IL American - Whispering Hills is very hard, typically 380 mg/L (22.2 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 Johnsburg’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
IL American - Whispering Hills
Illinois · serves 8,300 people · about 1,400 in Johnsburg
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOA at 8.3 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: very hard, typically 380 mg/L (22.2 grains per gallon).
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
McHenry
Illinois · serves 22,335 people · about 820 in Johnsburg
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 6.7 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: very hard, typically 470 mg/L (27.5 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 IL American - Whispering Hills’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher (ZP-010)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOA
Aquasana Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOA
Express Water StreamLine Direct Connect System (USC001)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOA
Water testing near Johnsburg
The 3 labs Illinois certifies closest to Johnsburg, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Pace Analytical Services, LLC - McHenry
McHenry, IL · about 2 miles
Certified for bacteria
McHenry County Health Department
Woodstock, IL · about 10 miles
Certified for bacteria
Lake County Environmental Laboratory
Libertyville, IL · about 17 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 Johnsburg: 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 Johnsburg
Other towns in McHenry County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read IL American - Whispering Hills’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for PFOARanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for PFAS, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water