Peoria Water Quality

Detected above the EPA's 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS — the "forever chemicals" linked to cancer and immune effects. Compounds found: PFBS, PFHxS, PFOA.

6 EPA violations on record (most recent 2024). Nitrate enters water mainly from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and animal waste. High levels can interfere with the blood's ability to carry oxygen, a special danger for infants. Long-term low-level exposure has also been linked to elevated cancer risk in some studies.

1 EPA violation on record (most recent 2020). Radium-226 is a naturally radioactive isotope that seeps from rock into groundwater. Over years of exposure it concentrates in bone and raises the risk of bone and other cancers. It is regulated together with radium-228 under the combined radium standard.

1 EPA violation on record (most recent 2020). Fluoride occurs naturally in groundwater and is also added by many utilities to reduce tooth decay. At high natural levels it can damage developing teeth and, over long exposure, weaken bones. The federal limit targets these high-level health effects rather than the low levels used for dental benefit.

1 EPA violation on record (most recent 2020). Radium is a naturally radioactive element that leaches from rock into groundwater. Long-term exposure increases the risk of bone cancer and other cancers because it concentrates in bone. The federal limit covers the combined activity of radium-226 and radium-228.

1 EPA violation on record (most recent 2020). Beta and photon emitters are radioactive contaminants that can come from natural deposits or from nuclear activity. Long-term exposure increases cancer risk. The federal limit is expressed as an annual dose rather than a simple concentration.

1 EPA violation on record (most recent 2020). Uranium occurs naturally in rock and dissolves into groundwater, with extra contributions from mining in some regions. It is both a radioactive and a toxic metal; long-term exposure mainly damages the kidneys and increases cancer risk. It is widespread in Western groundwater.

Peoria's water is very hard. Hardness isn't a health risk, but it drives scale on fixtures and water heaters, shortens appliance life, and leaves skin and hair dry.