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Community Water System · PWS IL1030450

Steward

Steward, Illinois 60553 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 238 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

238
People served
159
EPA violations
33
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 159 drinking-water violations at Steward, 21% of them health-based - above the Illinois per-system average.

159
Total EPA violations on record
21%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
238
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Steward

Steward is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 238 residents in Steward, Illinois (Lee County) through 114 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 159 total violations for this system , of which 33 (21%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 103 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Arsenic, recorded in 25 violations (MCL, health-based). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

Across Illinois, EPA tracks 5,117 public water systems serving 12,576,876 people, with 355,322 cumulative violations and 52,932 health-based violations on record. About 81% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 69.4 violations. Statewide, 199 of 487 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (40.9%).

Steward's 159 violations sit above the Illinois average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
238
Total Violations
159
Health-Based Violations
33
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
114
County
Lee
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
29
Monitoring Violations
103
Treatment Tech Violations
4

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Arsenic MCL 25 2019
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 8 2024
Xylenes, Total MR 7 2004
Coliform (TCR) MR 5 1996
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 4 2004
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 2004
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 2004
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 2004
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 4 2004
Carbon tetrachloride MR 4 2004
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 4 2004
Benzene MR 4 2004
Toluene MR 4 2004
Ethylbenzene MR 4 2004
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 4 2004
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 2004
Lead and Copper Rule MR 4 2001
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 4 2004
Styrene MR 4 2004
Atrazine MR 4 2004
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 4 2004
Trichloroethylene MR 4 2004
Coliform (TCR) MCL 4 2012
Tetrachloroethylene MR 4 2004
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 4 2004
CHLOROBENZENE MR 4 2004
Lead and Copper Rule TT 2 1995
Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MR 2 2007
Nitrite MR 2 2025
Public Notice Other 2 2025

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Steward.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID IL1030450 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Illinois Drinking Water Authority

Illinois EPA, Bureau of Water is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Steward under EPA-delegated authority.

Open IL regulator portal

Source: Illinois EPA, Bureau of Water

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2025 Nitrite MR 2 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 1041
2025 Public Notice Other 2 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 7500
2025 Nitrate MR 2 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 1040
2024 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 8 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 7000
2024 LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS TT 2 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 5200
2019 Arsenic MCL 25 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 1005
2012 Coliform (TCR) MCL 4 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 3100
2007 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MR 2 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 4010
2004 Xylenes, Total MR 7 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 2955
2004 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 4 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 2378
2004 o-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 2968
2004 p-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 2969
2004 trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 2979
2004 1,2-Dichloroethane MR 4 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 2980
2004 Carbon tetrachloride MR 4 SDWIS / IL1030450 / 2982

How Steward Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric Steward Illinois avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 159 69.4 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 33 10.3 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 40.9% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 238 2,458 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 5,117 regulated public water systems in Illinois.

Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Steward water safe to drink? ▼
Steward (PWS ID: IL1030450) has 159 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 238 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Steward serve? ▼
Steward serves 238 people in Steward, Illinois. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 114 service connections.
What type of violations does Steward have? ▼
Steward has 159 total violations: 33 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 103 monitoring/reporting violations, and 4 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Steward water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Steward under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Steward use? ▼
Steward uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from? ▼
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.