What's inside every report
EPA lists what a Consumer Confidence Report has to include:
- Where the water comes from. For Palos Heights: Lake Michigan surface water treated by the City of Chicago.
- The regulated contaminants that were detected, and how much
- Possible health effects of anything found above an EPA standard
- Any violations, and what the water system is doing about them
- Extra information about lead, and phone numbers for questions
The table, column by column
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| MCLG | The health goal: the level with no known health risk. For lead it's 0. |
| MCL | The legal limit: the most the law allows. |
| Action level (AL) | Used for lead and copper. If more than 1 in 10 tested homes are over it, the system must take extra steps. |
| Level found / 90th percentile | The result used to judge compliance. For lead, 9 out of 10 tested homes were at or below this number. |
| Range | The lowest and highest individual results. The highest one is worth noticing. |
| Violation (Y/N) | Whether the result broke a rule. This is the first column CDC suggests checking. |
Palos Heights's key numbers
- Lead (90th percentile): 0 ppb against a 15 ppb action level and a health goal of 0; highest single result 2.47 ppb.
- TTHM: 48 ppb against an 80 ppb limit.
- HAA5: 26 ppb against a 60 ppb limit.
- Chlorine: 1 ppm against a 4 ppm limit.
- Violations: The City reported a Consumer Confidence Report content violation (errors in the prior year's report), corrected with an updated report.
See each one in plain English, with color-coded status, on the Palos Heights water report card.
What the report can't tell you
The report covers the whole water system. It can't see your service line, your faucets, or the solder inside your walls. If you want to know what's coming out of your own tap, test it. Our guide to testing your water for lead walks through how.
Still have questions? Call your water department, or EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Quick questions
When does Palos Heights publish its water report?
EPA requires every community water system to deliver its annual report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, by July 1 each year.
What should I look at first?
CDC suggests looking for a column called "violations" or "meets standard" to see whether any result broke EPA's rules, then reading any violation notes.
Sources
- City of Palos Heights 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report — City of Palos Heights
- CCR Information for Consumers — U.S. EPA
- How to Read Drinking Water Quality Reports — CDC
This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice. Palos Heights Water Filtration is an independent business and is not affiliated with the City of Palos Heights. Product certifications are model-specific and can change; check the current listing before you buy.
