Towns on groundwater
These towns pump from wells. Deep sandstone wells in this part of Illinois mean very hard water and naturally occurring radium the utility has to treat; shallow wells mean hardness and iron. Every one of them gets the full softener, carbon and reverse osmosis bundle for a reason.
- Joliet, ILCity wells 1,000 feet down. 12 to 22 gpg hardness, chloramine, radium treated at the plant.Joliet water details
- Shorewood, ILDeep groundwater from the regional aquifer the Village says is being drawn down. 9 contaminants over EWG guidelines.
- Crest Hill, ILCity wells, radium treated at the plant, chlorine residual 0.7 to 1.1 ppm. 14 contaminants over EWG guidelines including PFAS.Crest Hill water details
- Lockport, ILDeep city wells. Chose in 2025 to stay on well water. 13 contaminants over EWG guidelines including PFAS.Lockport water details
- Romeoville, ILVillage wells, 10 to 20 gpg per the Village, five ion exchange plants for radium. 12 contaminants over EWG guidelines.Romeoville water details
- Channahon, ILGroundwater aquifers the Illinois State Water Survey says are being depleted.
- Minooka, ILGroundwater from the same regional aquifer as Joliet and Channahon.
- Rockdale, ILVillage is moving from shallow wells to a deep well with a new radium treatment plant.
- Elwood, ILVillage wells. Rural edges of Elwood run on private wells.
- Manhattan, ILVillage wells with radium treatment on Well 6. A 2014 sample exceeded the radium limit.
- Frankfort, ILVillage wells in a shallow aquifer with iron filtration at the plant. The Village itself says to set a softener to 25 gpg.
Towns on Lake Michigan water
These towns buy treated lake water through a regional pipeline. No radium, moderately hard rather than very hard, and chlorinated instead of chloramine. The softener has less to do, the carbon tank uses standard media, and the RO handles chlorine and disinfection byproducts in the water you drink.
- Plainfield, ILLake Michigan water since 2004 via the DuPage Water Commission. Village lists 6.3 gpg. 10 contaminants over EWG guidelines.Plainfield water details
- New Lenox, ILLake Michigan water from Chicago through the Oak Lawn-run pipeline. Village wells kept for emergencies.New Lenox water details
- Mokena, ILLake Michigan water through the Oak Lawn regional system. Chlorinated, moderately hard.
- Homer Glen, ILLake Michigan water since 2001, delivered by Illinois American Water.
Private wells
Unincorporated Will County, and much of Manhattan, Elwood and the edges of New Lenox, Frankfort and Lockport, run on private wells. Bring a recent test or get one from the Will County Health Department lab and we size the system to your water. Details on the well water treatment page.
Not sure whose water you have?
Look at the utility name on your water bill, or just send your address with the quote request. We pull the report for your exact system before we quote. Start with the Joliet water quality breakdown if you are in the city.
Sources: City of Joliet Public Utilities; Village of Shorewood, Channahon, Romeoville, Plainfield, New Lenox, Frankfort, Manhattan, Elwood and Rockdale websites and water quality reports; City of Crest Hill 2022 CCR; Shaw Local (Lockport, February 2025); Village of Oak Lawn and Village of Homer Glen water system history; EWG Tap Water Database (2013 to 2023 data).