Public water system · IL1090400
ActivePrairie City
At a glance
Prairie City (PWSID IL1090400) is an active community water system in McDonough County, Illinois. It reports serving 425 people through 170 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2008.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
425
Service connections
170
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Prairie City compare with other water systems in McDonough County?
By EPA's size categories, Prairie City is a very small system (500 people or fewer). McDonough County has 21 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 1,588 people per system, and accounts for 1.3% of the 33,349 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 Prairie City 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 Prairie City?
EPA lists Prairie City 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. 12 of the 21 active systems in McDonough County (57%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Prairie City have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2008. The violations listed here began between September 1991 and October 2008. By type: 6 monitoring and reporting and 6 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (9 of them). EPA lists 9 as archived and 3 as resolved. 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. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1994-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1994-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Minor (TCR) · code 26 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1994-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1993-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1992-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1992-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1992-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1991-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1991-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
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.
Prairie City: frequently asked questions
Who runs Prairie City?
Prairie City (PWSID IL1090400) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IL state drinking water program.
How many people does Prairie City serve?
Prairie City reports serving 425 people through 170 service connections in McDonough County, Illinois.
Where does Prairie City 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 Prairie City have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2008. 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 Prairie City'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, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2008. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IL state drinking water program.
Where can I find Prairie City's water quality report?
As a community water system, Prairie City 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 McDonough County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macomb | McDonough | 15,051 | Community | Surface water |
| Western Illinois University | McDonough | 8,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Bushnell | McDonough | 2,972 | Community | Groundwater |
| West Prairie Water Co-Op | McDonough | 2,395 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Colchester | McDonough | 1,395 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Blandinsville | McDonough | 569 | Community | Surface water |
Related pages
Working with water-system records? Pro adds alerts, change history and CSV export ($49/mo); Enterprise adds full national files, the API and an MCP server for AI tools.
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, “Prairie City, PWSID IL1090400, Illinois”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/illinois/prairie-city-il1090400 (data as of October 1, 2026).