Is Quincy, IL tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 2 utilities serving Quincy has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Illinois’s records: Mill Creek PWD.
Quincy, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 0.55 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from Quincy is moderately hard, 120 mg/L (7 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 Quincy’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Quincy
Illinois · serves 42,000 people · about 28,600 in Quincy
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 0.55 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, 120 mg/L (7 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Mill Creek PWD
Illinois · serves 5,755 people · under 100 in Quincy
1 result above the action level, 2 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Copper at 1.8 ppm, above the action level. Hardness: very hard, typically 360 mg/L (21.1 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 Quincy’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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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 Quincy
No lab Illinois certifies is within 75 miles of Quincy on the state’s list. Some take samples by mail; the state’s page lists them all.
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 Quincy: 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.
What to do next
- Read Quincy’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