Public water system · IL0950300
ActiveKnoxville
At a glance
Knoxville (PWSID IL0950300) is an active community water system in Knox County, Illinois. It reports serving 3,120 people through 1,320 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2023.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
3,120
Service connections
1,320
Primary source
GWP
Purchased groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Knoxville compare with other water systems in Knox County?
By EPA's size categories, Knoxville is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Knox County has 34 active public water systems, and Knoxville is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about twice the county average of 1,442 people per system, and accounts for 6.4% of the 49,041 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 Knoxville is about half of 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 groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 348 Illinois systems (9%) list purchased groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Knoxville?
EPA lists Knoxville 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. 14 of the 34 active systems in Knox County (41%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Knoxville have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2023. The violations listed here began between June 1998 and December 2023. By type: 10 contaminant level above the legal limit, 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Combined Radium (-226 and -228) (7 of them). EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-12-03 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2004-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2002-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2002-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2001-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1998-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1998-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | 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.
Knoxville: frequently asked questions
Who runs Knoxville?
Knoxville (PWSID IL0950300) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IL state drinking water program.
How many people does Knoxville serve?
Knoxville reports serving 3,120 people through 1,320 service connections in Knox County, Illinois.
Where does Knoxville get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased groundwater. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Knoxville have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2023. 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 Knoxville'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, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2023. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IL state drinking water program.
Where can I find Knoxville's water quality report?
As a community water system, Knoxville 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 Knox County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galesburg | Knox | 31,620 | Community | Groundwater |
| Abingdon | Knox | 3,275 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| I74 Spoon River Rest Area | Knox | 2,356 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Aqua Illinois-Oak Run | Knox | 1,885 | Community | Groundwater |
| Wataga | Knox | 965 | Community | Groundwater |
| East Galesburg | Knox | 860 | 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, “Knoxville, PWSID IL0950300, Illinois”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/illinois/knoxville-il0950300 (data as of October 1, 2026).