CITY OF MARQUETTE HEIGHTS
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
320 N. MAIN ST
MARQUETTE HEIGHTS, IL 61554
PHONE (309) 453-8473
To the Water Customers of Marquette Heights, IL Public Water System (PWS)
Recently the IL EPA Bureau of Water conducted a Statewide Survey of Water Supplies for what are called PFAS “Forever” Chemicals that have become a concern due to past use and recent understanding of how they do not “breakdown” in the environment. The chemicals are born in the industries of Teflon Coatings and Fire Fighting Foams, among others, that as they enter the environment, they do not break down and can enter surface and ground water sources. Further information for you review can be found here:
https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/water-quality/pfas/Pages/default.aspx
This notice is to provide information to our water users that minor detections were found in both our source water wells used for the City System. While both the USEPA and IEPA are further studying the potential health problems these chemicals may cause and what may further be done to mitigate or remove the problem both nation and statewide, it is pertinent to communicate this issue to all our water consumers. Current Guidelines provided by both the US & IL EPAs tell us the detection levels are low (below guidance levels at this time) and for only 3 of the 18 chemicals that make up this chemical group of concern. Those 3 chemicals are PFOS, PFBS & PFHxS. You may refer to these acronyms for study via the internet as well as these links to our test results and monitoring below (search PWS # IL1790400):
https://illinois-epa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/d304b513b53941c4bc1be2c2730e75cf
http://water.epa.state.il.us/dww/index.jsp
We will continue to monitor this issue through testing to make sure detection levels do not change by testing 4 times a year and communicate back to you as changes to detection levels or direction by the EPA regulatory groups mentioned.
Sincerely,
Anthony L. Brown
Public works Director/ Water Supt. City of Marquette Heights