Bartlett, IL
Here’s What You Need to Know About Drinking Water in Bartlett, IL
If you consume unfiltered drinking water in Bartlett, IL, then you could be putting your health at risk! Recent studies from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) indicate that Bartlett water contains dangerous amounts of ten harmful pollutants.
The good news is there are steps you can take to protect your health!
Read on to learn more about the contaminants in Bartlett drinking water and how to defend against them.
Contaminant
2017 Total
EWG Recommendation
Hexavalent Chromium-6
You may have heard of chromium-6 as it was the cancer-causing chemical featured in the movie Erin Brockovich. Unfortunately, this dangerous contaminant continues to infiltrate America’s water today.
Hexavalent chromium occurs naturally in the environment. However, it is also a common industrial byproduct. When companies fail to take proper precautions, chromium-6 often winds up polluting the nearby water.
According to the EWG, the drinking water in Bartlett contains 0.313 ppb of hexavalent chromium-6. This total is 16x higher than their recommended limit of 0.02 ppb.
Haloacetic Acids
This group of five acids commonly form as byproducts of the water disinfection process. The health risks associated with consuming too much of them include cancer, mutations and congenital disabilities.
While Bartlett water does not exceed the legal limit of 60 ppb for haloacetic acids, it drastically exceeds the EWG recommendation. A recent study showed that the water contains 25.7 ppb, 257x higher than the EWG guideline.
Here are the recent test results for each acid according to the EWG:
- Dibromoacetic acid – 1.06 ppb (27x higher than the EWG limit of 0.04 ppb)
- Dichloroacetic acid – 11.6 ppb (58x higher than the EWG limit of 0.2 ppb)
- Monobromoacetic acid – 1.21 ppb (below EWG limit of 25 ppb)
- Monochloroacetic acid – 0.0971 ppb (below EWG limit of 53 ppb)
- Trichloroacetic acid – 11.7 ppb (117x higher than the EWG limit of 0.1 ppb)
Radium (-226 and -228)
These radioactive isotopes occur naturally in the environment. They can also form because of human activities like gas and oil extraction.
Consuming too much radium-226 and -228 can cause all sorts of health problems. The most alarming include cancer, problems during pregnancy and kidney disorders.
The legal limit for Radium-226 and -228 is 5 pCi/L. While the drinking water in Bartlett does not exceed that limit, its total of 0.25 pCi/L is 4.9x higher than the EWG recommendation.
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Unfortunately, TTHMs are some of the most common contaminants in the Northern Illinois region. They typically form when water is disinfected.
Too much exposure to TTHMs can cause cancer and various congenital disabilities, including heart problems and damage to neural tubes.
EWG reports that Bartlett’s tap water has 332x more TTHMs than it should! While the reported total of 49.7 ppb is below the legal limit of 80 ppb, it is much higher than the EWG’s health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Here are the totals for each TTHM:
- Bromodichloromethane – 14.1 ppb (235x higher than the EWG limit of 0.06 ppb)
- Bromoform – 0.0210 ppb (Below the EWG limit of 0.5 ppb)
- Chloroform – 30.1 ppb (75x higher than the EWG limit of 0.4 ppb)
- Dibromochloromethane – 5.54 ppb (55x higher than the EWG limit of 0.1 ppb)
How to Defend Your Health
If the list above isn’t long enough for you, there’s more where that came from! Sadly, the EWG reports that many more harmful pollutants, including nitrate and strontium, were recently detected in Bartlett’s water. While these contaminants didn’t exceed legal limits or the EWG’s limits, any amount of them is still far too much!
So, what is a Bartlett resident to do? Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself.
First, you should get your water regularly tested at an EPA-certified testing facility. An EPA-certified water test will help you to understand exactly what contaminants you’re dealing with. As a result, you will be able to make an informed decision about what next steps to take.
Likely, these next steps will involve investing in trustworthy water treatment equipment. There are many quality water filters on the market, including reverse osmosis systems and chlorine injection systems. These systems can remove many of the pollutants often found in the drinking water in Bartlett.
Get Cleaner Water Today
One model that may be a good fit for you is the Zero Water Filter.
This convenient filter is a portable, practical and affordable option for Bartlett residents.
If you live in Bartlett, IL, or the surrounding region and need help with your water, give Angel Water a call at 847-382-7800. We provide EPA-certified water testing and a wide selection of water filters from top brands like PurAclear and EcoWater.
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