Public water system · IL0550050
ActiveBenton
At a glance
Benton (PWSID IL0550050) is an active community water system in Franklin County, Illinois. It reports serving 8,104 people through 3,581 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
8,104
Service connections
3,581
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Benton compare with other water systems in Franklin County?
By EPA's size categories, Benton is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Franklin County has 23 active public water systems, and Benton is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 4.4 times the county average of 1,860 people per system, and accounts for 19% of the 42,771 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Illinois, the 3,872 active systems average 3,204 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Benton is about 21% above that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Illinois has 1,773 active community water systems, 46% of the state's 3,872 active systems. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 619 Illinois systems (16%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Benton?
EPA lists Benton as owned by a local government. The IL state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 21 of the 23 active systems in Franklin County (91%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Benton have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. The violations listed here began between January 2025 and January 2026. By type: 6 monitoring and reporting, 5 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Public Notice (4 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved and 3 as unaddressed. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-15 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2025-10-13 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-08-22 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-02 | ReportingNotification, Known or Potential LSL · code 4H | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2025-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2025-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-01-12 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Benton: frequently asked questions
Who runs Benton?
Benton (PWSID IL0550050) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IL state drinking water program.
How many people does Benton serve?
Benton reports serving 8,104 people through 3,581 service connections in Franklin County, Illinois.
Where does Benton get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Benton have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Benton's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IL state drinking water program.
Where can I find Benton's water quality report?
As a community water system, Benton must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Franklin County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Frankfort | Franklin | 8,650 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Rend Lake Inter-City Water System | Franklin | 3,650 | Community | Surface water |
| Christopher | Franklin | 3,072 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Sesser | Franklin | 2,556 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Greenwood-Creek Nation Water Company | Franklin | 2,530 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Ewing-Ina Water Commission | Franklin | 2,393 | Community | Purchased surface water |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Benton, PWSID IL0550050, Illinois”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/illinois/benton-il0550050 (data as of October 1, 2026).