Public water system · IL0950700
ActiveYates City
At a glance
Yates City (PWSID IL0950700) is an active community water system in Knox County, Illinois. It reports serving 828 people through 331 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, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
828
Service connections
331
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Yates City compare with other water systems in Knox County?
By EPA's size categories, Yates City is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Knox County has 34 active public water systems. Its population served is about 43% below the county average of 1,442 people per system, and accounts for 1.7% 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 Yates 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 Yates City?
EPA lists Yates 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. 14 of the 34 active systems in Knox County (41%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Yates City have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. The violations listed here began between January 1983 and January 2025. By type: 10 contaminant level above the legal limit and 2 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium) (5 of them). EPA lists 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Archived |
| 2001-03-19 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1997-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1997-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-04-20 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1992-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1989-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1989-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1985-12-09 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1985-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1983-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Fluoridecode 1025 | 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.
Yates City: frequently asked questions
Who runs Yates City?
Yates City (PWSID IL0950700) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IL state drinking water program.
How many people does Yates City serve?
Yates City reports serving 828 people through 331 service connections in Knox County, Illinois.
Where does Yates 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 Yates City 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 January 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 Yates 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, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 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 Yates City's water quality report?
As a community water system, Yates 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 Knox County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galesburg | Knox | 31,620 | Community | Groundwater |
| Abingdon | Knox | 3,275 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Knoxville | Knox | 3,120 | 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 |
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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, “Yates City, PWSID IL0950700, Illinois”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/illinois/yates-city-il0950700 (data as of October 1, 2026).