Is CHESTER's water safe to drink?
CHESTER has a health-based violation on record, but none in the last five years - an older issue, not necessarily a current one. Population served: 8,407, over 2,826 connections.
How this compares nationally
40 total violations and 7 health-based ones put CHESTER at the 80th percentile nationally for violation burden, rank 2,637 of 12,903.
Against the IL average
Among the 560 IL systems in this dataset, the average is 5.0 health-based violations - CHESTER's 7 is above that. The filter guide explains what a violation like this actually calls for.
Most recent violation on record
CHESTER's most recent violation on record is dated 2026-01-01, with the most recent health-based one dated 2013-01-01. Last reported to EPA: 05/27/2026.
The concern categories on record
CHESTER's flagged contaminants and rule violations, grouped by what they actually mean for a filter choice rather than left as EPA's raw code list:
- Lead & copper - flagged from: Lead and Copper Rule
- Microbial contamination / treatment technique - flagged from: Coliform (TCR); Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule; Surface Water Treatment Rule
- Synthetic organic chemicals / pesticides / VOCs - flagged from: CARBON, TOTAL
The most severe category on record is lead & copper, which points toward a lead-class filter if you want to address it directly.
What CHESTER's record does not cover
This is what CHESTER reported to its state primacy agency and EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act - real regulatory record, not a lab test of your specific tap. Between the utility's meter and CHESTER's customers' taps is household plumbing, invisible to a system-level record ranked 2,637th of 12,903 by violation count. The guide to what this data misses covers that gap.