Vanadium Contamination

Vanadium in Illinois Drinking Water

Ranked by max vanadium detected (µg/L) · UCMR 3 data (2013–2015) · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

179

Cities Tested

Over HA

% Over HA

0.77 µg/L

State Avg

▼ 5% vs national

vs National

687

Health Violations

Analysis

Vanadium in Illinois: what the data shows

Illinois has 179 cities with vanadium data from the EPA's UCMR 3 program (2013–2015). Vanadium was detected above the 21 µg/L EPA short-term health advisory in 0 of those cities. The state average max detected level is 0.77 µg/L. Vanadium occurs naturally in groundwater, particularly in the western United States where it leaches from volcanic rock and oil shale formations. Industrial sources include steel manufacturing, oil refining, and fossil fuel combustion. There is no federal MCL for vanadium — the EPA established a short-term health advisory of 21 µg/L for a 10 kg child consuming 1 L/day for 10 days. Long-term exposure to elevated vanadium has been associated with kidney effects in animal studies and possible developmental impacts. Reverse osmosis and ion exchange systems are effective at removing vanadium from drinking water.

Comparison

Cities exceeding 21 µg/L EPA short-term HA (no MCL)

Illinois

0 of 179 cities

← ▼ 5% below national rate (better)

National avg

179 of 3261 cities

City Map

Vanadium data across Illinois

Each dot is a city with UCMR 3 vanadium testing data. Cities where vanadium exceeds the 21 µg/L EPA short-term health advisory are highlighted. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by vanadium level in Illinois

Highest Vanadium levels (µg/L)

All Cities

All Illinois cities ranked by vanadium level

#	City	Level	Over HA?	Violations	Grade
1	Springfield	5.60 µg/L	No	3	D
2	Ottawa	4.53 µg/L	No	62	F
3	Chatham	4.46 µg/L	No	2	A
4	Mascoutah	3.62 µg/L	No	6	A-
5	Caseyville	3.60 µg/L	No	3	B+
6	Moline	3.56 µg/L	No	7	C
7	East St Louis	3.40 µg/L	No	1	B+
8	Alton	3.30 µg/L	No	1	B
9	O Fallon	3.10 µg/L	No	17	A-
10	Mattoon	2.95 µg/L	No	14	B-
11	Granite City	2.40 µg/L	No	0	B+
12	Canton	2.30 µg/L	No	7	B+
13	Waverly	2.25 µg/L	No	22	A
14	Elgin	2.20 µg/L	No	9	C-
15	Jerseyville	2.10 µg/L	No	6	A-
16	Bloomington	2.10 µg/L	No	21	F
17	Dieterich	2.00 µg/L	No	7	F
18	Quincy	1.83 µg/L	No	3	B-
19	Collinsville	1.80 µg/L	No	12	C-
20	Eureka	1.80 µg/L	No	20	B
21	Taylorville	1.70 µg/L	No	0	A-
22	Peoria	1.70 µg/L	No	5	C-
23	East Moline	1.59 µg/L	No	18	D+
24	Normal	1.56 µg/L	No	3	D+
25	Freeburg	1.55 µg/L	No	7	A-
26	Jacksonville	1.53 µg/L	No	28	B-
27	Rock Island	1.53 µg/L	No	5	B-
28	Centralia	1.53 µg/L	No	2	B
29	Troy	1.50 µg/L	No	3	A-
30	Macomb	1.42 µg/L	No	39	D
31	Decatur	1.39 µg/L	No	28	B
32	Mount Vernon	1.30 µg/L	No	2	B+
33	Marion	1.21 µg/L	No	29	D
34	Aurora	1.20 µg/L	No	20	D
35	Effingham	1.19 µg/L	No	2	A-
36	Rockford	1.16 µg/L	No	43	F
37	Carterville	1.15 µg/L	No	3	C+
38	Danville	1.10 µg/L	No	24	B
39	Nashville	1.10 µg/L	No	27	C-
40	Tamaroa	1.09 µg/L	No	0	A-
41	Charleston	1.09 µg/L	No	10	C+
42	Pekin	1.00 µg/L	No	1	D+
43	Salem	0.85 µg/L	No	7	C
44	North Pekin	0.82 µg/L	No	1	A-
45	Herrin	0.77 µg/L	No	0	C+
46	Sleepy Hollow	0.74 µg/L	No	4	A-
47	Machesney Park	0.71 µg/L	No	4	B
48	Streator	0.70 µg/L	No	14	A-
49	Pontiac	0.70 µg/L	No	10	C
50	Benton	0.64 µg/L	No	5	D
51	Bethalto	0.61 µg/L	No	0	A-
52	West Chicago	0.60 µg/L	No	22	A
53	Champaign	0.60 µg/L	No	0	A
54	Kankakee	0.52 µg/L	No	40	F
55	Franklin Park	0.50 µg/L	No	5	B
56	Bensenville	0.50 µg/L	No	4	A
57	Wood River	0.47 µg/L	No	0	B+
58	Godfrey	0.43 µg/L	No	22	C+
59	Orland Park	0.40 µg/L	No	0	A-
60	Wheaton	0.40 µg/L	No	2	B-
61	Libertyville	0.40 µg/L	No	14	C
62	Downers Grove	0.40 µg/L	No	2	A
63	Glenview	0.40 µg/L	No	3	B+
64	Northbrook	0.40 µg/L	No	55	D
65	Bartlett	0.40 µg/L	No	49	B-
66	Park Ridge	0.40 µg/L	No	1	B
67	Addison	0.40 µg/L	No	0	A
68	Calumet City	0.40 µg/L	No	3	C-
69	Darien	0.40 µg/L	No	6	C+
70	Chicago Heights	0.40 µg/L	No	0	B+
71	Melrose Park	0.40 µg/L	No	6	C
72	Lisle	0.40 µg/L	No	2	A-
73	Rolling Meadows	0.40 µg/L	No	3	A
74	Blue Island	0.40 µg/L	No	19	C
75	Homewood	0.40 µg/L	No	2	C
76	Brookfield	0.40 µg/L	No	0	A-
77	Palos Hills	0.40 µg/L	No	3	A
78	Matteson	0.40 µg/L	No	1	B
79	Westchester	0.40 µg/L	No	2	B
80	Palos Heights	0.40 µg/L	No	1	A-
81	Midlothian	0.40 µg/L	No	5	A-
82	Hickory Hills	0.40 µg/L	No	1	A
83	Forest Park	0.40 µg/L	No	2	A-
84	Wood Dale	0.40 µg/L	No	0	A-
85	Riverdale	0.40 µg/L	No	6	B+
86	Summit	0.39 µg/L	No	1	B+
87	Peotone	0.39 µg/L	No	3	A-
88	Naperville	0.39 µg/L	No	0	B+
89	Glenwood	0.37 µg/L	No	0	B+
90	Westhaven	0.37 µg/L	No	3	A+
91	Burr Ridge	0.35 µg/L	No	0	A
92	Oak Forest	0.35 µg/L	No	0	B+
93	North Chicago	0.33 µg/L	No	5	B+
94	Wheeling	0.33 µg/L	No	5	A+
95	Palatine	0.33 µg/L	No	2	B
96	Justice	0.32 µg/L	No	0	A-
97	Hazel Crest	0.32 µg/L	No	2	B
98	Worth	0.32 µg/L	No	3	A
99	Crestwood	0.32 µg/L	No	0	B
100	Country Club Hills	0.32 µg/L	No	0	A-
101	Plainfield	0.32 µg/L	No	23	B-
102	La Grange Park	0.32 µg/L	No	2	A
103	Lansing	0.32 µg/L	No	2	B
104	Murphysboro	0.32 µg/L	No	8	B
105	Buffalo Grove	0.32 µg/L	No	1	A
106	Edwardsville	0.31 µg/L	No	18	D+
107	Farmer City	0.31 µg/L	No	1	B-
108	Villa Park	0.31 µg/L	No	2	A
109	Rantoul	0.30 µg/L	No	54	D
110	Chicago	0.30 µg/L	No	68	F
111	Cicero	0.30 µg/L	No	3	B
112	Schaumburg	0.30 µg/L	No	17	B+
113	Evanston	0.30 µg/L	No	1	A+
114	Bolingbrook	0.30 µg/L	No	2	A
115	Skokie	0.30 µg/L	No	9	C-
116	Des Plaines	0.30 µg/L	No	0	B+
117	Oak Lawn	0.30 µg/L	No	2	B
118	Berwyn	0.30 µg/L	No	3	A-
119	Tinley Park	0.30 µg/L	No	0	B+
120	Oak Park	0.30 µg/L	No	2	A
121	Hoffman Estates	0.30 µg/L	No	7	A+
122	Elmhurst	0.30 µg/L	No	2	A-
123	Lombard	0.30 µg/L	No	1	A-
124	Mount Prospect	0.30 µg/L	No	1	B+
125	Carol Stream	0.30 µg/L	No	1	A-
126	Streamwood	0.30 µg/L	No	2	A-
127	Hanover Park	0.30 µg/L	No	3	A
128	Elk Grove	0.30 µg/L	No	2	A-
129	Woodridge	0.30 µg/L	No	2	A-
130	Glendale Heights	0.30 µg/L	No	1	A
131	Gurnee	0.30 µg/L	No	4	A
132	Burbank (South Stickney)	0.30 µg/L	No	7	B+
133	Niles	0.30 µg/L	No	3	B
134	Glen Ellyn	0.30 µg/L	No	0	A-
135	New Lenox	0.30 µg/L	No	7	D+
136	Wilmette	0.30 µg/L	No	0	A
137	Morton Grove	0.30 µg/L	No	2	B-
138	Westmont	0.30 µg/L	No	6	B-
139	Elmwood Park	0.30 µg/L	No	3	B+
140	Harvey	0.30 µg/L	No	1	B
141	Maywood	0.30 µg/L	No	3	C+
142	Roselle	0.30 µg/L	No	2	A-
143	Weston	0.30 µg/L	No	6	A
144	South Holland	0.30 µg/L	No	5	B-
145	Dolton	0.30 µg/L	No	2	C
146	Evergreen Park	0.30 µg/L	No	0	B+
147	Mokena	0.30 µg/L	No	2	A
148	Bellwood	0.30 µg/L	No	7	B+
149	Alsip	0.30 µg/L	No	2	A-
150	Hinsdale	0.30 µg/L	No	0	A
151	La Grange	0.30 µg/L	No	1	B
152	Norridge	0.30 µg/L	No	0	A-
153	Chicago Ridge	0.30 µg/L	No	1	A-
154	Lincolnwood	0.30 µg/L	No	1	B+
155	Oak Brook	0.30 µg/L	No	8	D
156	North Lake	0.30 µg/L	No	1	B+
157	Markham	0.30 µg/L	No	7	B
158	River Forest	0.30 µg/L	No	1	B+
159	Schiller Park	0.30 µg/L	No	7	A-
160	Lyons	0.30 µg/L	No	7	A-
161	River Grove	0.30 µg/L	No	3	A-
162	Bridgeview	0.29 µg/L	No	0	A-
163	Zion	0.29 µg/L	No	1	B
164	Arlington Heights	0.29 µg/L	No	1	B-
165	Robinson	0.28 µg/L	No	0	A-
166	Lake Forest	0.28 µg/L	No	58	B-
167	East Peoria	0.28 µg/L	No	133	F
168	Waukegan	0.27 µg/L	No	5	B+
169	Round Lake Beach	0.27 µg/L	No	3	B+
170	Carbondale	0.26 µg/L	No	26	D
171	Lake In The Hills	0.26 µg/L	No	4	A-
172	Grays Lake	0.26 µg/L	No	6	A
173	Mundelein	0.26 µg/L	No	22	F
174	Winnetka	0.25 µg/L	No	0	A
175	Freeport	0.22 µg/L	No	19	B-
176	Round Lake	0.22 µg/L	No	3	A-
177	Glen Carbon	0.20 µg/L	No	0	B
178	Montgomery	0.20 µg/L	No	4	A-
179	Warrenville	0.20 µg/L	No	0	B+

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about vanadium in Illinois

Is vanadium in Illinois tap water harmful?

Vanadium has no federal MCL. The EPA short-term health advisory is 21 µg/L. No cities in Illinois exceed the EPA short-term health advisory. Long-term exposure has been linked to kidney effects in animal studies. Vanadium is most common in groundwater in the western US.

How can I remove vanadium from my drinking water?

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are highly effective at removing vanadium, typically reducing it by 90% or more. Ion exchange systems also work. Standard activated carbon filters are not effective against vanadium. If your water comes from a private well in the western US, consider testing for vanadium.

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