Illinois

Water Quality in the State of Illinois

Illinois is a state rich with culture and a diverse economic base. So much so, that it is considered a microcosm of the United States. Chicago, the third-largest state in the US, contributes to 65% of the state’s population. The water supply for Illinois comes from surface waters (rivers, lakes and reservoirs) and groundwater from aquifers. 

Water Hardness Summary

Illinois is a hard water state. The average water hardness for the Illinois resident is around 200 PPM, which is extremely hard and can leave white deposits on your plumbing fixtures and cause damage to your water heaters. Chicago, the most populous Illinois city, has a water hardness level of 148 PPM. The highest reported water hardness numbers come from the city of Rockford, with 308 PPM (or 18 grains per gallon).

For more information on the water hardness in specific cities, please see the table below.

City	Water Hardness Data
Aurora 60502 |60503 | 60504 | 60505 | 60506	127 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg
Carol Stream 60188	418 PPM (mg/L) or 24 gpg
Champaign 61820 | 61821 | 61822	258 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg
Chicago 60601 |60602 | 60603 | 60604 | 60605 | 60606 | 60607 | 60608 | 60609 | 60610 | 60611 | 60612 | 60613 | 60614 | 60615 | 60616 | 60617 | 60618 | 60619 | 60620 | 60621 | 60622 | 60623 | 60624 | 60625 |60626 | 60628 | 60629 | 60630 | 60631 | 60632 | 60633 | 60634 | 60636 | 60637 | 60638 | 60639 | 60640 | 60641 | 60642 | 60643 | 60644 | 60645 | 60646 | 60647 | 60649 | 60651 | 60652 | 60653 |60654 | 60655 | 60656 | 60657 | 60659 | 60660 | 60661	148 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg
Cicero 60804	187 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg
Columbus 62236	120 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg
Crystal Lake 60012 | 60014	137 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg
Danville 61832 | 61834	191 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg
Decatur 62521 |62522 | 62523 | 62526	194 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg
Dekalb 60115	188 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg
Des Plaines 60016 | 60018	350 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg
Downers Grove 60515 | 60516	288 PPM (mg/L) or 17 gpg
East Peoria 61611	250 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg
East Saint Louis 62201 | 62203 | 62204 | 62205 | 62206 | 62207	210 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg
Elgin 60120 | 60123 | 60124	171 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg
Elmhurst 60126	362 PPM (mg/L) or 21 gpg
Elmwood Park 61529 | 60707	218 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg
Evanston 60201 | 60202 | 60203	333 PPM (mg/L) or 20 gpg
Glenview 60025 | 60026	299 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg
Granite City 62040	250 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg
Joilet 60431 | 60432 | 60433 | 60435 | 60436	388 PPM (mg/L) or 23 gpg
Kankakee 60901	196 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg
Lombard 60148	344 PPM (mg/L) or 20 gpg
Melrose Park 60160 | 60164	222 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg
Moline 61265	210 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg
Mount Prospect 60056	247 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg
Naperville 60540 | 60563 | 60564 | 60565	288 PPM (mg/L) or 17 gpg
Oak Lawn 60453	222 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg
Oak Park 60301 | 60302 | 60304	212 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg
Orland Park 60462 | 60467	322 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg
Palatine 60067 | 60074	245 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg
Peoria 61602 |61603 | 61604 | 61605 | 61606 | 61607 | 61614 | 61615 | 61625	250 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg
Plainfield 60544  | 60585 | 60586	280 PPM (mg/L) or 16 gpg
Rockford 61101 |61102 | 61103 | 61104 | 61107 | 61108 | 61109 | 61112 | 61114	308 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg
Romeoville 60446	395 PPM (mg/L) or 24 gpg
Springfield 62701 |62702 | 62703 | 62704 | 62707 | 62711 | 62712	88 PPM (mg/L) or 5 gpg

PPM = Parts Per Million

mg/L = Milligrams Per Liter

gpg = Grains Per Gallon

Agriculture, Food Processing and Water Hardness

Agriculture is a thriving industry in Illinois. 75% of the state’s total land is occupied by farmland because the state has an ideal climate and rich productive soil. As of 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) reported that Illinois has 72,000 farms. Top Illinois agriculture products are corn, soybeans, livestock, dairy and poultry.

With the average water hardness in Illinois being 200 PPM, which is considered very hard, based on USGS water hardness measures.  Many farms and food process plants experience issues related to scale buildup on their irrigators and other necessary equipment due to the mass quantities of water flow every day. In addition, contaminants polluting soil and waterways have increased greatly over the past few decades. There is a greater need for waste control and a decrease in chemical control. Many farmers are looking for eco-friendly solutions that can provide quality crop protection at a cheaper cost. Read more about how HydroFLOW can increase crop yield.

Solutions to your Water Quality Problems

Fixing your water quality issues in the state of Illinois will depend on your specific water source. It is best to test your potable water supply in order to get a better understanding of your water quality. Testing is relatively cheap. The test results will allow you to understand if your potable water has issues that need to be addressed. Common solutions to water contamination problems may include a water filtration system, a reverse osmosis system or other whole home water treatment solutions.

A problem that almost all Illinois residents will have to deal with is hard water. One old-fashioned, inefficient, expensive and unhealthy method to treat hard water is with a salt-based water softener. Most people don’t realize that if you’re using a water softener you are basically removing calcium and magnesium from your drinking water and adding salt to your diet. In addition, many states are banning the use of salt-based water softeners.

Alternative water treatment solutions such as “water conditioners” have been gaining popularity in recent years because they are cheap to operate and the best eco-friendly solution for hard water. Hydropath technology, which powers the HydroFLOW water conditioners is by far the most efficient and cost-effective eco-friendly solution to deal with hard water problems. To learn more about how HydroFLOW solves the problems created by hard water, please check out our technology page. You might want to read this blog that explains the difference between water conditioners and water softeners: Water Conditioner vs. Water Softener Blog.

For more information, please contact HydroFLOW Midwest