State health department recommends water well testing for Hennepin area

HENNEPIN, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Public Health is advising residents who obtain their drinking water from private wells in the Hennepin area to test their water for possible groundwater contamination. Routine testing of the city’s municipal water wells by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) indicates contamination could be present in the area’s private wells.

Although the contaminants were found in Hennepin’s source water, contaminants are removed at the city’s water supply treatment plant to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, so those using the public water supply are not affected.

Persons with private wells located within the area east of the Illinois River, north of Coffee Creek extending one mile north of Route 71, and west of Route 26, are encouraged to have their water tested by a private laboratory.

The contaminant tetrachloroethylene was detected at a level above the groundwater quality standard.

A list of private laboratories approved for testing can be obtained by calling Illinois Department of Public Health’s Peoria office at 309-693-5360. Once samples have been analyzed, residents can call the health department for an explanation of the test results.

The risk of adverse health effects depends on the level of contaminants in the water and the length of exposure. Long-term exposure to this chemical may increase the risk of liver and kidney damage.