Is Washington, IL tap water safe?
The short answer
2 of the 3 utilities serving Washington have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Illinois’s records: North Tazewell PWD and East Peoria.
Washington, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.1 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from Washington is moderately hard to very hard depending on the source, 89 to 210 mg/L (5.2 to 12.3 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 Washington’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Washington
Illinois · serves 14,793 people · about 2,200 in Washington
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.1 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard to very hard depending on the source, 89 to 210 mg/L (5.2 to 12.3 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
North Tazewell PWD
Illinois · serves 7,625 people · about 840 in Washington
2 results above the legal limit, 1 result above the action level, 1 result above the limit’s level with no violation recorded and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Copper at 1.4 ppm, above the action level. Hardness: very hard, 360 mg/L (21.1 grains per gallon).
13 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
East Peoria
Illinois · serves 22,484 people · under 100 in Washington
1 result above the action level, 1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Copper at 1.4 ppm, above the action level. Hardness: very hard, typically 415 mg/L (24.3 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 Washington’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
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
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
Water testing near Washington
The 3 labs Illinois certifies closest to Washington, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Daily Laboratories
Peoria, IL · about 14 miles
Certified for bacteria
Pace Analytical Services, LLC - Peoria
Peoria, IL · about 14 miles
Certified for bacteria
Test, Inc.
Peru, IL · about 45 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 Washington
Which ZIP codes are in Washington: 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 Washington
Towns nearby with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Washington’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for ArsenicRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best reverse osmosis systems, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water