Public water system · IL1810150
ActiveCobden
At a glance
Cobden (PWSID IL1810150) is an active community water system in Union County, Illinois. It reports serving 1,267 people through 580 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 8 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,267
Service connections
580
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Cobden compare with other water systems in Union County?
By EPA's size categories, Cobden is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Union County has 12 active public water systems, and Cobden is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 11% above the county average of 1,139 people per system, and accounts for 9.3% of the 13,669 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 Cobden is well below 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. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 2,808 Illinois systems (73%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Cobden?
EPA lists Cobden 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. 8 of the 12 active systems in Union County (67%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Cobden have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 8 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. The violations listed here began between June 1977 and October 2025. By type: 6 monitoring and reporting and 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Chlorine (3 of them). EPA lists 6 as resolved and 2 as archived. 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. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-07-24 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation without NPDWR Violation · code 76 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-07-24 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1977-06-30 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Archived |
All 8 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.
Cobden: frequently asked questions
Who runs Cobden?
Cobden (PWSID IL1810150) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IL state drinking water program.
How many people does Cobden serve?
Cobden reports serving 1,267 people through 580 service connections in Union County, Illinois.
Where does Cobden get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Cobden have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 8 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. 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 Cobden'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. EPA's records list 8 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IL state drinking water program.
Where can I find Cobden's water quality report?
As a community water system, Cobden 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 Union County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna | Union | 4,910 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Lick Creek PWD | Union | 2,365 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Jonesboro | Union | 1,799 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Alto Pass Water District | Union | 1,015 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Shawnee Valley PWD | Union | 738 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Dongola | Union | 736 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
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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, “Cobden, PWSID IL1810150, Illinois”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/illinois/cobden-il1810150 (data as of October 1, 2026).