PFAS Chemical Information & Updates

Community Health Notice: PFAS Chemical in Fox Lake Water Supply ONLY

If you received a notification in the mail but do not get your water from the Village of Fox Lake, please disregard. The Village of Fox Lake serves parts of Lake and McHenry counties, covering zip codes 60020, 60041, 60050, 60051, 60081, and 60073. However, not all residents in these areas are affected by the Health Notice.

What ARE Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Chemicals and How to Remove/Reduce them from Drinking Water?

The drinking water industry has been monitoring PFAS levels, including Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFFHxS) chemicals for more than a decade. Often referred to as Forever Chemicals, these chemicals have existed since the 1940s and are found in non-stick cookware, water repellents, stain repellents, firefighting foam, and many other common products. While the chemicals are no longer produced in the US, they can still be found in airborne, soil, and water samples. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a public health advisory on chemicals in 2016, citing evidence that lifetime exposure to these chemicals could result in harmful health effects.

In 2020, the Illinois EPA initiated an investigation into the levels of PFAS concentrations in water supplies throughout the State of Illinois. The Village voluntarily participated in the IL EPA's testing program for PFAS. The Village learned shortly thereafter that the investigation found a single well location serving Village of Fox Lake residents contained trace concentrations of only one PFAS family of chemicals. The postcard mailing sent that hit the homes of our Village of Fox Lake water supply recipients received the last week in April 2025, notified individuals and residents regarding IL EPA's test results. The Village of Fox Lake’s Well #4 is the only location that exhibited higher than recommended levels.

PFAS ANALYTE	ACRONYM	*ANALYTICAL RESULT (ng/L)**	*CLASS I GROUNDWATER QUALITY STANDARD (ng/L)**
Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid	PFOS	5	4

Upon receiving the initial notification, the Village of Fox Lake immediately engaged engineering services and began collaborating with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to develop a Water Quality Improvement Plan. In our community, elevated PFOS levels have been identified only at one specific well location (Well #4). The most recent IEPA-regulated levels, updated in October 2024, can be reviewed on the Illinois Register at this link. According to these standards, the Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) for PFOS in groundwater has been established. It is important to note that the U.S. EPA has not yet adopted a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for PFOS. We are pleased to report that the Village of Fox Lake is at minimal risk of contamination at this time and is making significant progress toward resolving the concerns raised by the EPA regarding our water supply.

Furthermore, it is important to share important information about PFAS, which can be found in water, air, fish, and soil at various locations across the nation and the globe. There are thousands of PFAS chemicals present in many consumer, commercial, and industrial products, making it challenging to study and assess their potential human health and environmental risks. PFAS are widely used and long-lasting chemicals that break down very slowly over time. To better understand the health and environmental risks associated with PFAS, you can find more information through the EPA at this link.

The first steps of that plan have already been implemented, with the remainder to be completed over the next several years. PFAS is an emerging science, and the Village will continue to analyze, sample, and monitor the water from all wells serving our residents. The Village of Fox Lake has a plan in place for the replacement of Well #4, with an anticipated drill date as early as this fall 2025.

Upon the inception of potentially hazardous conditions for our community, the Village has been actively limiting how much Well #4 is run, only running it when a backwash is required of Well #5. In 2024, a total of 240 million gallons of water were pumped through the Village’s water system. During that time, only 44 million gallons of water (18%) of that was flushed through Well #4. The Village of Fox Lake continues to take more steps to reduce the usage of Well #4 before a replacement is available.

We will continue to communicate remediation efforts and updates with the community. The Village of Fox Lake will follow the IEPA recommendations to communicate this information to our community.

For more information regarding PFAS please visit the IEPA website at https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/water-quality/pfas.html

The Village of Fox Lake is part of our ongoing efforts to keep our community informed and connected. Please note that this notification is for informational purposes only and does not require any immediate action. There are currently no boil orders or water treatment requirements in place.

We encourage you to take this opportunity to learn more about our water system and make any personal accommodations you feel are necessary for your own consumption. Your safety and well-being are our top priorities

One part per trillion (ppt) is an extremely small concentration. To give you an idea, imagine:

One drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
One second in 31,700 years.
One grain of salt in 18 million pounds of salt.

While full-house filtration systems can be expensive, there are some more economical options for at-home use. Not all home water filters reduce/remove PFAS chemicals.

Here are links to CERTIFIED home filtration options. These are designed to reduce/remove PFAS from drinking water and are recommended by Consumer Reports: