Public water system · IL0490250
ActiveEffingham
At a glance
Effingham (PWSID IL0490250) is an active community water system in Effingham County, Illinois. It reports serving 12,252 people through 5,300 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2007.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
12,252
Service connections
5,300
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Effingham compare with other water systems in Effingham County?
By EPA's size categories, Effingham is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Effingham County has 14 active public water systems, and Effingham is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 7.1 times the county average of 1,721 people per system, and accounts for 51% of the 24,087 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 Effingham is about 83% 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 89 Illinois systems (2.3%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Effingham?
EPA lists Effingham 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. 9 of the 14 active systems in Effingham County (64%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Effingham have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2007. The violations listed here began between June 1977 and December 2007. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting, 2 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (2 of them). EPA lists 3 as resolved and 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-12-15 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) · code 25 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1994-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1986-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1985-06-05 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
| 1977-06-30 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Archived |
All 6 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.
Effingham: frequently asked questions
Who runs Effingham?
Effingham (PWSID IL0490250) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IL state drinking water program.
How many people does Effingham serve?
Effingham reports serving 12,252 people through 5,300 service connections in Effingham County, Illinois.
Where does Effingham get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Effingham have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2007. 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 Effingham'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 6 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2007. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IL state drinking water program.
Where can I find Effingham's water quality report?
As a community water system, Effingham 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 Effingham County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Sara Area Water Co-Op, Inc.. | Effingham | 3,352 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Altamont | Effingham | 2,300 | Community | Surface water |
| Teutopolis | Effingham | 2,018 | Community | Groundwater |
| Heartville PWD | Effingham | 1,092 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Dieterich | Effingham | 900 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Ej Water-Watson | Effingham | 754 | 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, “Effingham, PWSID IL0490250, Illinois”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/illinois/effingham-il0490250 (data as of October 1, 2026).