SPRINGFIELD, IL – Homeowners who obtain their water from private wells in the Belvidere area should consider having the water tested for possible groundwater contamination, the Illinois Department of Public Health today announced.

Test results of samples collected by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) of the city's municipal water wells revealed traces of two contaminants – tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene – that could also be present in the area's private wells. Although trace amounts were found in Belvidere's source water, contaminants are being removed at the city's water supply treatment plant, and drinking water quality meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. Those who have questions about the city's water supply should contact Joan Muraro of Illinois EPA at 217-785-7209 for more information.

Persons with private wells in an area bounded on the north by Chrysler Drive, on the west by Genoa Road, on the south by Marengo Road, and on the east by North Appleton Road and Stone may wish to have their water tested by a private laboratory and have the results analyzed by toxicologists in IDPH's Rockford Regional Office.

A list of private laboratories approved for testing can be obtained by calling the Department's Rockford office at 815-987-7511. Once samples have been examined, residents can call that same number for an explanation of the results.

Exposure to tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene for long periods may increase the risk of liver and kidney damage, and impair immune system function and fetal development.

The Illinois EPA is working with several sites in Belvidere that are undergoing environmental cleanup to determine the rate and extent of groundwater contamination in those areas.