States › Illinois › DeKalb County

DeKalb County, IL Water Quality

Water quality data for 12 public water systems serving DeKalb County, Illinois — based on EPA SDWIS enforcement records, lead testing results, and health-based violation history.

📅 2026 Report 🔄 Data updated 2026 Q2 📍 12 water systems · 12 cities
✅
Generally Safe — Most Systems Performing Well

The majority of water systems have no active violations and lead levels well below the federal action level.

B

DeKalb County Earns a B

DeKalb County: 12 communities across 12 water systems. 100.0% have no open violations.

  • Median lead where detected: 8.70 ppb
  • 5 communities with a lead detection, 7 reporting none detected
  • 0 communities with PFAS above the federal limit
  • 10 with significant inspection deficiencies
  • 100.0% of communities have no open violations
8.7 ppb
Median Lead Level
County-wide, 90th percentile
12
Water Systems
Active CWS & NTNCWS
100%
Violation-Free
No active violations on record
How we grade counties: MyWaterIQ uses EPA SDWIS enforcement data — actual MCL violations and lead test results — not the aspirational MCLG targets used by some sites. A grade reflects real compliance history, not theoretical risk. Learn more →

Cities by Water Quality

⭐ Best Performing
  • Sycamore
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Cortland
    Not detected
    2 significant inspection deficiencies
    A
  • Kirkland
    Not detected
    2 significant inspection deficiencies
    B
  • Malta
    Not detected
    1 significant inspection deficiency
    B
  • DeKalb
    13.00 ppb
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    B
⚠ Needs Attention
  • Kingston
    5.03 ppb
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    D
  • Waterman
    8.77 ppb
    3 significant inspection deficiencies
    C
  • Shabbona
    6.83 ppb
    4 significant inspection deficiencies
    C
  • Hinckley
    Not detected
    3 significant inspection deficiencies
    C
  • DeKalb
    13.00 ppb
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    B
County Lead Level — Median 8.7 ppb
Based on most recent 90th percentile lead tests across all reporting systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
County median: 8.7 ppb — 58% of the federal action level
Systems by Lead Level
5 – 10 ppb
4
10 – 15 ppb
1
No Data
7

All Cities in DeKalb County

DeKalb 13.00 ppb B
Sycamore Not detected A
Sandwich Not detected B
Genoa 8.70 ppb B
Cortland Not detected A
Hinckley Not detected C
Kirkland Not detected B
Waterman 8.77 ppb C
Malta Not detected B
Kingston 5.03 ppb D
Somonauk Not detected B
Shabbona 6.83 ppb C
Showing 12 cities
No active violations Active violations

About DeKalb County Drinking Water

DeKalb County is served by 12 water systems covering 12 communities. No community here has an open violation on record.

Of the communities reporting lead results, 5 recorded a detection, with a median of 8.70 ppb — 58% of the federal action level. 7 reported none detected, which means below the laboratory limit rather than an absence of lead.

No community here has PFAS above the federal limit on record. State inspectors recorded significant deficiencies at 10 of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is DeKalb County tap water safe to drink?▼
No community in DeKalb County has an open violation on record. No community has PFAS above the federal limit on record.
What is the lead level in DeKalb County?▼
Among communities with a detection the median is 8.70 ppb, 58% of the 15 ppb action level. 7 reported none detected and 0 reported no result.
How many water systems serve DeKalb County?▼
12 community water systems serve 12 communities here.
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