EPA: Illinois public water supplies meet standards

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency says the state’s public water supplies consistently met state and federal health standards last year.

More than 12 million people in Illinois rely on public water sources for drinking, cooking and bathing.

The agency provides its annual analysis to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The latest report says 99.9 percent of the population was served by community water supplies that met all short-term health standards and 96.9 got water that complied with long-term standards.

All water supplies that had violations in 2011 have either returned to compliance, have agreed to take steps necessary to return to compliance, or are in the formal enforcement process involving the office of the Illinois Attorney General or the federal EPA.