ILLINOIS AMERICAN WATER PROVIDES CAHOKIA HEIGHTS AND METRO EAST COMMUNITIES WITH SAFE, CLEAN AND RELIABLE DRINKING WATER
Illinois American Water is committed to providing safe, clean and reliable drinking water to the Cahokia Heights homes and businesses we serve. The company serves approximately 20 percent of homes and businesses in Cahokia Heights, including about 1,400 metered customer connections, as well as the City of Cahokia Heights as a bulk water purchaser. The City maintains and operates its own water distribution and delivery system for the customers it serves, including customer service, pipes, pumps and other infrastructure.
The drinking water supplied to Cahokia Heights comes from Illinois American Water’s East St. Louis Water Treatment Plant, a regional treatment facility serving communities across the Metro East. The water distributed to customers in Cahokia Heights is the same treated water Illinois American Water customers receive in other Metro East communities, including Belleville, Caseyville, Columbia, East St. Louis, O’Fallon, Scott Air Force Base, Millstadt, Swansea and Shiloh.
The East St. Louis Water Treatment Plant is an award-winning member of the Partnership for Safe Water. This national recognition is given to fewer than 150 water treatment plants in the United States. The Partnership is a national voluntary initiative developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other water organizations to recognize water suppliers that consistently achieve water treatment standards that go above and beyond EPA regulatory requirements. As a member of the program, water utilities pledge to continually improve their treatment operations and undergo a rigorous review that includes a four-phase self-assessment and peer-review process.
Over the past five years, Illinois American Water has made an estimated $139 million in replacements and updates at the regional East St. Louis Water Treatment Plant. These improvements include the addition of an ultraviolet treatment system, which provides an additional layer of treatment for surface-water facilities and helps neutralize harmful microorganisms without changing the taste of the water or adding additional chemicals.
Illinois American Water does not provide wastewater service in Cahokia Heights, Illinois, and therefore cannot remediate sewer back-ups or stormwater related issues. Wastewater service is provided by the City of Cahokia Heights.
OUR WATER IS TESTED REGULARLY AND MEETS OR SURPASSES DRINKING WATER STANDARDS
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and EPA set drinking water standards to protect public health. Illinois American Water follows approved state and federal protocols to routinely sample, test and monitor the water we provide in Cahokia Heights, the Metro East, and throughout our Illinois service areas.
Illinois American Water treats, tests and delivers drinking water that meets or surpasses all applicable water quality standards set by the IEPA and EPA. We encourage customers and community members to review our annual Water Quality Reports, available on the Illinois American Water website under the Water Quality tab, to learn more about the quality of drinking water service provided in Cahokia Heights and the Metro East.
FACTS ABOUT DRINKING WATER SAMPLING
FACT:
Every month, Illinois American Water proactively samples drinking water at four certified bacteriological sample stations throughout its service area in Cahokia Heights.
These four sites were specifically chosen by the EPA due to their distinction as areas where the City of Cahokia Heights wastewater infrastructure was having the most sanitary sewer overflows. At each of these sample stations, Illinois American Water may collect up to four samples. That means that up to 16 water samples each month are tested for Total Coliform, E. coli and chlorine levels at the East St. Louis Water Treatment Plant, a certified bacteriological laboratory.
Illinois American Water has also collected samples at these designated Cahokia Heights sampling stations at the same time the IEPA has conducted its own sampling at the same locations. All samples were collected by trained samplers following state and federal protocols to help ensure accurate and reliable results, and all samples were analyzed at certified laboratories. Samples taken by Illinois American Water and samples collected independently by the Illinois EPA tested negative for Total Coliform and E. coli, confirming that no harmful bacteria were present. Chlorine residuals measured between 2.8 and 3.3 parts per million, which is within the normal range needed to maintain proper disinfection.
This ongoing testing confirms that the drinking water supplied by Illinois American Water continues to meet bacterial water quality standards set by state and federal regulators. Based on these results, we have no indication that wastewater discharges in Cahokia Heights are negatively impacting the drinking water supplied by Illinois American Water to our direct customers.
FACT:
Every month, Illinois American Water takes 120 drinking water samples that reflect the entire Metro East distribution system, including Cahokia Heights.
The number of bacteriological samples collected each month is based on the population served by the full distribution system. Sample locations are approved by the IEPA and are selected to represent different pressure zones across the system.
FACT:
Illinois American Water continuously monitors and tests drinking water as it leaves our treatment facility.
The East St. Louis Water Treatment Plant operators test water regularly, every day of the week, and online analyzer equipment continuously monitors the water for various parameters as it leaves the facility. This monitoring and testing comply with strict IEPA and EPA requirements.
FACT:
Illinois American Water’s regulatorily required bacteriological sample results can be found on the IEPA website.
This verified regulatory data is publicly available and includes where samples are collected, how often samples are collected, and sample results.
WHY CUSTOMERS CAN TRUST ILLINOIS AMERICAN WATER TEST RESULTS
Water testing is only reliable when samples are collected, handled and analyzed correctly. Illinois American Water’s testing is performed by trained water professionals who follow approved state and federal sampling procedures. These requirements exist for an important reason: they help ensure that test results accurately reflect the quality of the drinking water being supplied.
Our testing program includes routine systemwide monitoring, additional sampling in Cahokia Heights and continuous monitoring at the treatment facility. Together, these safeguards provide a reliable, science-based picture of drinking water quality.
Because Illinois American Water is committed to transparency, regulatory compliance and open communication, we have also visited customer homes upon request to formally test tap water. Illinois American Water testing confirmed that the drinking water in these instances met or surpass all tested regulatory standards. We have also conducted testing in private homes together with the IEPA, and those samples did not test positive for Total Coliform nor E. coli.
DRINKING WATER TESTING SHOULD BE CONDUCTED BY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS USING APPROVED METHODS
Illinois American Water is aware of recent media reports and paid outreach efforts encouraging independent drinking water testing in Cahokia Heights. We understand that customers want answers and reassurance. However, drinking water testing must be done carefully, using proper collection procedures and certified laboratory analysis, for results to be considered reliable.
Tests that are not collected by trained samplers, not handled according to approved procedures or not analyzed by certified laboratories can produce results that do not accurately reflect the quality of the public drinking water supply.
- If a home, faucet, sample bottle, or surrounding area is not properly sanitized before collection, bacteria from the household environment, stormwater, or sewer-related contamination can affect the sample.
- Samples collected by individuals who are not trained in water sampling procedures may be contaminated before they ever reach a laboratory.
- Samples that are not analyzed by certified laboratories, or that are not collected and preserved according to approved protocols, should not be used to draw conclusions about the quality of the public drinking water supply.
For these reasons, Illinois American Water encourages customers to rely on verified testing performed by trained professionals, certified laboratories and regulatory agencies. Those results show that the drinking water supplied by Illinois American Water continues to meet applicable drinking water standards.
COMPLIANCE WITH THE SAFE WATER DRINKING ACT
In August 2021, the EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to Illinois American Water and the City of Cahokia Heights in response to residents’ water quality concerns. Illinois American Water worked closely with the IEPA, EPA and Cahokia Heights customers on additional testing and monitoring in our Cahokia Heights service area. The company also went beyond the regulatory requirements by attending town hall meetings, reaching customers one-on-one through phone calls, texts and home visits, organizing a customer open house, and sharing a monthly newsletter on important service information and engineering projects.
Ultimately, Illinois American Water demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the EPA, that the terms of the Order were completed and that the company complied with requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and its regulations. Illinois American Water was released from the Order in May 2023 and continues to maintain compliance with applicable drinking water requirements.