Does Illinois have hard water? Yes, the state of Illinois has extremely hard water. Based on location, the water hardness level in Illinois ranges from 8 grains per gallon to 25 grains per gallon.
According to the ‘Standard Water Hardness Scale’ set by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), water containing 7-10 grains of mineral content per gallon is considered hard water. And water that contains more than 10 grains of hardness causing calcium, magnesium, and other ions per gallon is considered very hard water.
We have collected water hardness data from major cities in Illinois. Data shows that the majority of the 12.6 million Illinois residents are suffering from hard water problems. If you are an Illinois resident, check out our data to find out exactly how hard the water is in your city.
Illinois Water Hardness Data
| City | Water Hardness Data | City | Water Hardness Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | 127 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg | Carol Stream | 418 PPM (mg/L) or 24 gpg |
| Champaign | 258 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg | Chicago | 148 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg |
| Cicero | 187 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg | Columbus | 228 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg |
| Crystal Lake | 137 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg | Danville | 191 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg |
| Decatur | 194 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg | Dekalb | 188 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg |
| Des Plaines | 350 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg | Downers Grove | 288 PPM (mg/L) or 17 gpg |
| East Peoria | 250 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg | East Saint Louis | 210 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg |
| Elgin | 171 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg | Elmhurst | 362 PPM (mg/L) or 21 gpg |
| Elmwood Park | 218 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg | Evanston | 333 PPM (mg/L) or 20 gpg |
| Glenview | 299 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg | Granite City | 250 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg |
| Joliet | 388 PPM (mg/L) or 23 gpg | Kankakee | 196 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg |
| Lombard | 344 PPM (mg/L) or 20 gpg | Melrose Park | 222 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg |
| Moline | 210 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg | Mount Prospect | 247 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg |
| Naperville | 288 PPM (mg/L) or 17 gpg | Oak Lawn | 222 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg |
| Oak Park | 212 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg | Orland Park | 322 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
| Palatine | 245 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg | Peoria | 250 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg |
| Plainfield | 280 PPM (mg/L) or 16 gpg | Rockford | 308 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg |
| Romeoville | 395 PPM (mg/L) or 24 gpg | Springfield | 88 PPM (mg/L) or 5 gpg |
| PPM = Parts Per Million | mg/L = Milligrams Per Liter | gpg = Grains Per Gallon | – |
Where does Illinois get its water?
The state of Illinois is blessed with numerous water resources. We have analyzed the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) prepared by the United States Geological Survey to find the amount of water Illinois has throughout the state.
NSD data shows that, as of 2022, Illinois has roughly 119,244 miles of streams within its border. Major rivers of Illinois such as the Big Muddy, Cache, Des Plaines, Kankakee, Kaskaskia, Little Wabash, Rock, Sangamon, and Vermilion are included in those streams. Moreover, Illinois has another 911 miles of large rivers, including the Mississippi, Wabash, and Ohio rivers.
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The Mississippi River forms the western board of Illinois. The Wabash River forms the eastern border and the Ohio River forms the southern border of Illinois.
Between the borderlines, there are also 91,400 lakes and ponds in Illinois. 75% of these lakes are man-made, including dammed streams and side-channel impoundment, strip-mine lakes, borrow pits, etc. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1999, these lakes hold more than 6 acres of freshwater.
On top of that, the state of Illinois is bordered by one of the great lakes of America, Lake Michigan. The state owns over 1,526 miles of open water and 64 miles of shoreline of Lake Michigan. For those of you who don’t know, Lake Michigan is the third-largest lake and the largest body of fresh water in America.
All these rivers, lakes, and ponds are sources of water for Illinoisans.
Do you need to use a water softener in Illinois?
Illinois has some of the hardest water in all of America. Using a water softener is a must in Illinois. Otherwise, you will see limescale build-up in your water pipes and faucets within a few months. Water pipes will get all clogged up due to excessive scale build-up. Eventually, you will be forced to change the entire plumbing system, which can cost you thousands of dollars.
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Moreover, the service life of home appliances that come in regular contact with water, like dishwashers, water heaters, and washing machines, will be cut down by half due to hard water. Skin sensitive people will suffer from extensive skin rash, hair fall, and eczema because of showering in hard water.
What type of water softener is recommended to soften Illinois hard water?
There are two types of water softeners available on the market.
- Salt-based systems as known as Water Softeners
- Salt-free systems as known as Water Conditioners
Generally, salt-based softeners are more budget-friendly than salt-free water conditioners. A salt-based system costs about 600-1200 dollars whereas a salt-free system costs somewhere between 900-1500 dollars. Although affordable, a salt-based system requires continuous maintenance, including adding new salt, discharging backwashes, etc.
Most importantly, a salt-based water softener does not work without electricity. Meaning no soft water during a power cut. In places where people experience frequent power cuts, it might not be a good idea to use a salt-based system. On the other hand, a salt-free water conditioner does not require any maintenance. Once installed, the system provides soft water for years. It does not need new salt, electricity, programming, or discharging backwashes. Check out recommended water softeners to use in Illinois.
Water Softener for Illinois
- Reduces hardness in the water, and eliminates scale, spot build up for the entire home.
- Rated to treat 64,000 Grains of Hardness by removing skin damaging hard minerals like iron and magnesium that clog up the skin pore and causes irritation.
- Equipped with Aquatrol Advanced Digital On-Demand Meter Control Head, in and out bypass, 1in NPT Male Adapter and prefilled premium grade resin.
- Featured, time delayed, metered and manual double backwash for optimum regeneration, cleaning, and performance.
- Every Aquasure Water Softener is constructed of High strength corrosion resistant fiberglass lined polyethylene tank, durable bypass valve and prefilled premium grade resin. It also comes with 5 year manufacturer warranty
- Whirlpool WHES40E water softener is ideal for households of 1-6 plus people and removes up to 10 ppm of clear water (ferrous) iron
- NSF certified to reduce hard water symptoms such as embarrassing stains, build up on your Plumbing and Faucets and spotting on dishes
- Whirlpool water softeners automatically Calculate how much salt and water is required to regenerate and only uses what is necessary, resulting in a significant reduction in salt and water usage
- Full 1-year parts and labor . The system can be extended to 2 years when you buy 3 bottles of Whirlpool WHEWSC water softener cleanser (sold separately)
- Dimensions: 19" D x 18" W x 47 7/8" H
- Clean, Great Tasting Water From Every Tap In Your Home - Removes 97% of chlorine. Plus, activated carbon is effective at reducing organic chemicals including pesticides, herbicides, and VOCs while allowing for a flow rate up to 11.8 gallons per minute.
- High-Performance Filter System - Salt-free conditioner, carbon & KDF filtration engineered to maximize filtration and reduce scale while leaving healthy minerals in your water. This system will NOT reduce Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
- Cost Efficient & Long Lasting - Clean water for less than dollars0.01 a gallon - Save twice as much compared to other brands on purified water for 1 million gallons or 10 years
- Easy Maintenance - No draining or back flushing needed - Easily replace pre and post filters every 2 months for best filtration and flow rate
- Top-Grade Install Kit & Components - System includes filter tank, conditioner tank, 20" pre-filter, post-filter, brass fittings for 1'' or 3/4'' pipes, bend supports, and shut-off valves – Item may ship in more than one box and may arrive separately
Illinois tap water is safe to drink?
Due to the high level of lead contamination, tap water in Illinois is not safe for drinking. Illinois has the highest number of lead-made service lines than any other state in America. Based on an analysis done by the Chicago Tribune
More than 8 of every 10 Illinoisans live in a community where brain-damaging lead has been found in the tap water of at least one home during the past six years.
Chicago Tribune
Lead in Illinois water
Lead is a highly toxic metal that is unsafe to consume at any level. It permanently damages the brain development of children. Lead in drinking water is also responsible for heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney failure, and other health problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 400,000 Americans die every year because of lead contamination.
The primary source of lead in water is lead-made service lines that were placed back in the 1980s. Service lines connect homes with municipal water supplies. In that time period, people also used lead pipes and faucets in their homes.
From 2015 to 2020, thousands of water samples were taken from Illinois homes, schools, and offices. The authority has found a high amount of lead particles in those samples. Data shows people in Flint, Michigan, and East Chicago are the worst sufferers of lead contamination. Some homes have been found to have 2,700 PPB – 3,000 PPB of lead in their tap water. If you have doubt about whether you have or haven’t lead in your drinking water, better use a lead testing kit to be certain.
The Biden administration has taken the initiative to replace all lead service lines from coast to coast. They have also urged people to replace lead pipes and faucets in their homes if they have any. Until then, every Illinoisan should use a lead water filter to remove lead from drinking water.
Best Water Filter For Illinois
- Certified to NSF/ANSI 58, 6-Stage Alkaline Remineralization Layered Filtration - Exclusively designed to restore the natural alkalinity and mineral balance of water; this reliable and ultra-safe Reverse Osmosis (RO) water filtration system converts your water into clean, pure and healthy drinking water by removing up to 99% of over 1,000 harmful contaminants like chlorine, fluoride, lead (removes up to 98%), arsenic, asbestos, calcium, sodium and more.
- GREAT-TASTING MINERAL WATER - A standard 5 stage RO system produces slightly acidic water with a pH of 7. 0 or below because the RO membrane removes not only harmful pollutants but also a few helpful minerals. The iSpring RCC7AK Reverse Osmosis water filter includes an additional 6th stage - an Alkaline Remineralization filter which restores healthy minerals and produces a balanced alkalinity, which gives your water a more natural taste than regular 5 stage RO water filter.
- LOW MAINTENANCE - Transparent 1st stage housing for easy visual inspection. Three extra long life pre-filters to remove large contaminants and protect RO membrane. Ultra fine (RO) filter to remove contaminants down to 0. 0001 microns; fine GAC filter to provide final polishing to the purified water and (AK) filter to finally restore just the right proportion of healthy minerals and a natural alkaline balance. The end result is great-tasting bottled-water quality.
- EASY TO INSTALL & NO LEAKS - The water purifier is designed for do-it-yourself installation and all necessary parts for installation are included. Backed by clear installation manual, instructional videos, and access to life-time technical support. The entire alkaline water filter fits nicely under a kitchen sink. For leak-free installation, simply push tubing ½ inch deep into quick-fitting connectors and lock; no threading pipes needed.
- 100% SATISFIED CUSTOMERS - RCC7AK from America’s favorite brand of under sink water filter is the highly rated reverse osmosis systems. Comes with 1-year limited manufacturer warranty upon registration and lifetime personalized support from GA, USA, combined with premium quality components, this water filter is to deliver endless bottled quality drinking water right in your home for many years to come, eliminating plastic waste.This RCC7AK doesn't come with a pump.
Illinois Water Quality Data
Illinois residents get their water either from public water systems or from private wells. The Illinois Bureau of Water, which governs water quality in Illinois, continuously tests and monitors water quality to provide safe drinking water. The water they provide is considered safe according to the standards set by the Federal Law and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
They have also set up an online portal named Drinking Water Watch web portal which delivers monitoring data and information about water quality produced by public water supply (PWS) facilities in Illinois. You can provide your water name and number there to gather all the information about your tap water.
If you get your drinking water from a private well, then you will need to test it to find whether it is safe for drinking or not. Because the Illinois bureau of water does not regulate private wells. They have clearly mentioned it’s the individual’s responsibility, not theirs. But they do provide notices and press releases of common contaminants found in Illinois that may pose health threats. You can find those pieces of information here.
How much is the average water bill in Illinois per month?
On average, 1000 gallons of water costs $4.25 in Illinois. According to the EPA, the daily water demand of an adult is 82 gallons. If you have a family of 4, your monthly water usage will be 82304 = 9840 gallons. And, your water bill will be around 41.82 dollars.
