FAQs • Aurora, IL • CivicEngage

Where does Aurora fall within the national standards for chromium?: The national drinking water standard for total chromium, is 100 parts per billion (ppb). The highest level of total chromium detected in City of Aurora drinking water in 2015 was 3 ppb. None of the 162 systems tested in Cook, DuPage, Will, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Kendall counties even reached close to the national drinking water standard.

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Public Works - Water Production - Hexavalent Chromium (Chromium-6)

1. What is hexavalent chromium (chromium-6)?: A study by the Environmental Working Group has been published regarding the presence of hexavalent chromium (chromium-6) in 140 Chicago-area water systems. Chromium-6 was made famous in the movie “Erin Brockovich,” where a California power company is accused of polluting a city's water supply. While this is a very important measure to monitor throughout the country, there is no need for alarm regarding the City of Aurora’s water supply.

2. Is Aurora's water safe?: Yes, the water in Aurora is safe and fully complies with all federal and Illinois state standards.

3. Where does Aurora fall within the national standards for chromium?: The national drinking water standard for total chromium, is 100 parts per billion (ppb). The highest level of total chromium detected in City of Aurora drinking water in 2015 was 3 ppb. None of the 162 systems tested in Cook, DuPage, Will, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Kendall counties even reached close to the national drinking water standard.

4. What is the difference between total chromium and chromium-6 (hexavalent chromium)?: Hexavalent chromium is a component of total chromium. Hexavalent chromium is not regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in drinking water and the USEPA does not have a public health goal for hexavalent chromium.

5. Does Aurora's water comply with California's health goals for chromium?: While the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment set a public health goal for chromium-6 as 0.02 ppb, the State of California, in 2014, set an actual regulatory limit of 10 ppb. The article and study neglect to mention this extremely large difference between the goal and the actual regulatory limit applied to drinking water suppliers in California.

6. If California's standard was applied to Illinois, how would Aurora measure?: If the state of California’s regulatory limit of 10 ppb for hexavalent chromium was applied in Illinois, the City of Aurora would safely meet this regulatory level. The highest level of chromium-6 detected in City of Aurora drinking water in 2015 was 3 ppb. This value is included in the annual Water Quality Report.