The Village of Wilmette would like to assure its customers that a lead/corrosion control program has been in place for over 25 years.
The Village feeds a small amount of phosphate to the treated water to help coat these lead pipes. The coating reduces the lead leaching into the drinking water to levels below the USEPA limits. Phosphate is a mineral found in many foods. This program incorporates applying the EPA recommended corrosion control treatment at the Village’s water treatment plant, and periodic rounds of sampling and testing of lead levels in drinking water at approved homes by Illinois EPA (IEPA) to measure the treatment effectiveness. The Village has maintained compliance with this regulation since its inception. The Village conducts triennial sampling and testing for lead in households throughout the Village. The Village regularly tests consumers’ taps for lead and is in full compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule. As of 2020, Wilmette was well below the EPA lead action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb), shown below.
| Date Sampled | Action Level (parts per billion) | 90th Percentile (parts per billion) | # of Sites over Action Level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | 2020 | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| Lead | 2017 | 15 | 6.4 | 0 |
| Lead | 2014 | 15 | 5.2 | 1 |
| Lead | 2011 | 15 | 6.63 | 0 |
| Lead | 2008 | 15 | 5.99 | 0 |
| Lead | 2005 | 15 | 8.9 | 2 |
Testing For Lead
The Wilmette water plant laboratory is not certified to analyze for metal; however, residents with lead service lines that wish to have their homes tested for lead may contact the Wilmette water plant laboratory at 847-853-7532 or e-mail Stefanie Ladao (ladaos@wilmette.com).
The Wilmette water plan laboratory will order you a testing kit, drop it off at your residence, and pick it up when you are done with sampling. We will then coordinate with a certified laboratory for testing and analysis. Once results are available, we will send those results to you.
The Illinois EPA maintains a webpage with more information on lead including a list of environmental labs accredited to perform water testing including lead. You also can find contact information for testing your water for lead by calling EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.