Chicago is one of the largest cities in the country and one of BN's biggest markets. It is also a city with a documented drinking water problem that does not get nearly enough attention.
According to EWG's Tap Water Database, Chicago's drinking water contains nitrate at two times EWG's health guideline and chromium-6 at almost ten times EWG's health guideline. Those are not edge cases or trace detections. They are contaminants showing up consistently in a water supply serving millions of people, at levels that independent health researchers flag as a serious concern.
The two contaminants worth understanding.
Chromium-6 at nearly 10 times the health guideline.
Chromium-6, also known as hexavalent chromium, is a toxic metal that enters water through industrial discharge, leaching from storage tanks, and erosion of natural deposits. It became widely known after being linked to cancer in communities near industrial sites, but it is far more widespread than most people realize. EWG's national tap water data shows chromium-6 is one of the most common contaminants found above health guidelines in public water systems across the country. In Chicago, it is showing up at nearly ten times the level EWG considers safe. There is no federal maximum contaminant level for chromium-6 specifically. The EPA regulates total chromium, a broader measure that includes the less toxic chromium-3. That regulatory gap means water utilities can report compliance while hexavalent chromium remains well above what health science supports.
Nitrate at two times the health guideline.
Nitrate enters water primarily through agricultural runoff but can also come from stormwater and municipal wastewater discharge into urban waterways. While it is often associated with rural areas, EWG analysis confirms it is a documented problem in large cities too, including Chicago. At levels above EWG's health guideline, research links nitrate exposure to increased risk of colorectal cancer, thyroid disease, and adverse birth outcomes including preterm birth and low birth weight.
Legal does not mean safe.
Chicago's water meets federal legal standards. That is not the same thing as clean water. The EPA's chromium standard does not specifically target chromium-6. The nitrate standard has not been updated since 1962. EWG applies more current health science to its guidelines, and by those measures Chicago's water falls short on both counts. For businesses with employees drinking that water eight or more hours a day, five days a week, the long-term exposure question matters.
The lead pipe problem is still not solved.
Chromium-6 and nitrate are not Chicago's only documented water quality issues. The city has one of the worst lead service line problems in the country, with an estimated 70% of service lines made of lead. While the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule revisions require water systems to replace lead service lines over time, that process takes years. In the meantime, lead from aging infrastructure can leach into drinking water at the point of delivery, separate from whatever the treatment plant sends out. A water system can treat water to standards and still deliver lead at the tap if the pipes between the plant and your building are old enough.
What this means for Chicago businesses.
Offices in Chicago are drawing from a water system with documented chromium-6 at nearly ten times EWG's health guideline, nitrate at two times, and ongoing lead pipe infrastructure concerns. That is what your employees are drinking from the tap every day. Bottled water does not solve this either. Bottled water has been found in multiple studies to contain higher concentrations of microplastics than tap water, and PFAS contamination has been detected in bottled water from major brands.
Reverse osmosis purification removes chromium-6, nitrate, lead, PFAS, microplastics, and a broad range of other contaminants at the point of use. That is what Bottleless Nation installs for businesses across the Chicago metro area. NSF 53, 58, and 61 certified systems, one flat monthly rate, purified water on demand, and none of the contaminant risk that comes with either tap or bottled water.
Chicago's water passes federal standards. Passing the test and being clean are two very different things.
Source:
EWG: What's in Chicago's Drinking Water