Freeport's water system shows 14 contaminants above independent health guidelines, while remaining in compliance with federal standards. Legal limits and health guidelines are two different lines. Both are shown below, with sources, along with what a water filtration system in Freeport should actually address. Call (815) 246-2868.
Long-term exposure risk: Long-term elevated exposure is associated with increased bladder cancer risk in the research behind EPA's own limits.
DBPs, disinfection byproducts, mostly trihalomethanes or THMs, form when the chlorine the city uses to disinfect reacts with natural organic matter in the source water. The disinfection itself is necessary; the byproducts are the problem, long-term elevated exposure is associated with increased bladder cancer risk in the research EPA cites, which is why they're federally capped at 80 parts per billion. Catalytic carbon strips them out at your house.
What treats it: Catalytic carbon system.
Long-term exposure risk: A radioactive metal. Long-term exposure raises bone cancer risk.
Radium is a naturally radioactive metal that leaches into deep wells from the bedrock, common in northern Illinois aquifers. Long-term exposure raises bone cancer risk, which is why it's federally limited to 5 picocuries per liter. Here's the good news: an ion-exchange water softener is an EPA-recognized treatment for it, the same equipment that fixes your hard water.
What treats it: Water softener (ion exchange), RO.
Long-term exposure risk: Forever chemicals: immune effects, cholesterol changes, and some cancers. They never break down, in the environment or in you.
PFAS are the so-called forever chemicals, man-made compounds from firefighting foam, non-stick coatings, and industrial use that don't break down in the environment or in your body. The research EPA cites links long-term exposure to immune effects, cholesterol changes, and some cancers, and federal limits for them only arrived in 2024. Reverse osmosis is one of the few certified ways to remove them at home.
What treats it: RO (POU or whole-home); carbon assists.
Long-term exposure risk: Cancer risk at long-term elevated exposure. No dedicated federal limit for the -6 form.
Chromium-6 is the industrial metal made famous by the Erin Brockovich case. It occurs naturally and from industrial pollution, and long-term elevated exposure is linked to cancer risk. There's still no dedicated federal limit for the -6 form, only for total chromium, which is why independent guidelines flag it. RO removes it.
What treats it: RO (POU or whole-home).
| Contaminant | Highest level tested | EWG health guideline | Times over | What treats it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) | 0.685 ppt | 0.001 ppt | 685x | Reverse osmosis |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) | 18.7 ppb | 0.06 ppb | 311x | Catalytic carbon (+ RO backup) |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) | 22.4 ppb | 0.15 ppb | 149x | Catalytic carbon (+ RO backup) |
| Bromodichloromethane | 6.72 ppb | 0.06 ppb | 112x | Catalytic carbon (+ RO backup) |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) | 8.95 ppb | 0.1 ppb | 89x | Catalytic carbon (+ RO backup) |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) | 2.62 pCi/L | 0.05 pCi/L | 52x | Water softener (ion exchange) or RO |
| Dibromochloromethane | 3.95 ppb | 0.1 ppb | 39x | Catalytic carbon (+ RO backup) |
| Dibromoacetic acid | 1.03 ppb | 0.03 ppb | 34x | Catalytic carbon (+ RO backup) |
| Chloroform | 11.2 ppb | 0.4 ppb | 28x | Catalytic carbon (+ RO backup) |
| Trichloroacetic acid | 2.74 ppb | 0.1 ppb | 27x | Catalytic carbon (+ RO backup) |
| Dichloroacetic acid | 4.04 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 20x | Catalytic carbon (+ RO backup) |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) | 5.87 ppt | 0.3 ppt | 20x | Reverse osmosis |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 1.28 ppt | 0.09 ppt | 14x | Reverse osmosis |
| Chromium (hexavalent) | 0.0463 ppb | 0.02 ppb | 2.3x | Reverse osmosis |
Levels are the utility's own most recent published test results as compiled by the EWG Tap Water Database. "Times over" compares against EWG's independent health guideline, not the federal legal limit; this system meets federal limits.
For most Freeport homes the baseline is a properly sized water softener, which also reduces the radium in this report through EPA-recognized ion exchange. From there, the report tells us what else matters: carbon for the disinfection byproducts, a drinking-water system for the serious lines, and up the ladder from there. See the systems, or start with the free personal report.
Start where your budget is. Every tier is installed by a licensed plumber, tested at handoff, and includes the first year of care.
Properly sized water softener with full install hardware. Ends the hard water and reduces the radium in this report. The right first move for most Freeport homes.
Adds catalytic carbon: chlorine and the disinfection byproducts (up to 311x the guideline here) gone at the wall.
Adds the drinking-water RO tap and UV protection. The serious lines, handled.
Every tap purified: whole-home RO, remineralized to pH 7.0 to 8.5, sealed storage that never sits still (24/7 UV recirculation), twin softening, leak protection, and our signature copper vortex stage.
Multiple buildings, outbuildings and barns, high-flow engineering, bespoke copper work. Designed one-on-one with the owner.
Sources: EWG Tap Water Database, Freeport · Lead information for this utility · Illinois EPA Drinking Water Watch
Nearby: Mendota · Princeton · Woosung · Grand Detour
The report is free, the call is 15 minutes, and nobody ever comes to your house to sell you. One licensed crew, a limited number of installs each month.