Over 120,000 Illinoisans Warned About Dangerous Drinking Water

You may need to check your drinking water.

A new warning from Illinois American Water says that routine water testing in Peoria found that certain test sites had elevated levels of lead in the water.

Newsweek says Illinois American Water's Peoria district serves over 120,000 people.

The EPA's action level for lead in water is 15 parts per billion. 14 of the 103 water samples the company took exceeded that level.

Lead in water can be especially dangerous to kids and for adults, can cause kidney, brain, and red blood cell production problems.

Last fall, regulations regarding lead and copper were changed and Illinois American Water told Newsweek about this warning:

Because Illinois recently changed reporting rules on lead, many other providers in other communities are experiencing to same issue...This recent change in the state lead rule impacted nearly two dozen other water providers. All are required to provide customer notice within the 24-hour notification requirement, per Illinois EPA. Illinois American Water immediately complied with the Illinois EPA's 24-hour notification requirement.

Illinois American Water suggests flushing your taps, using cold water for things like baby formula, remove and clean faucet aerators, check to see if your interior plumbing contains lead, follow manufacturer's directions in replacing water filters in appliances, and lastly, drink bottled water.

If you're concerned about your drinking water or you want a lead testing kit, you can reach out to Illinois American Water at leadfreeil@amwater.com.

Meanwhile, Illinois American Water said they would be doing more lead and water quality monitoring to "determine the extent of the situation as well as any site-specific concerns".