Latest news with #AquaIllinois
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Drinking water alert issued to Aqua Illinois customers with infants in the south suburbs
UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. (WGN) — A drinking water alert has been issued for Aqua Illinois customers with infants due to high levels of nitrates from the Kankakee River. According to an alert on Aqua Illinois' website, recent rains combined with spring agricultural fertilization have caused nitrate levels in the Kankakee River to rise, impacting customers served by their Kankakee Water Treatment Plant. The alert warns nitrate levels in the Kankakee River may be harmful to infants under six months in age, and affect customers served by their Kankakee, Peotone and University Park systems. Nitrates are natural compounds made of nitrogen and oxygen that are found in soil, water, some foods and even the human body. What makes them dangerous to infants is that if they are consumed at increased levels, they can interfere with their blood's ability to carry oxygen, potentially leading to methemoglobinemia, or 'Blue Baby Syndrome.' Blue Baby Syndrome can cause respiratory distress, seizures, coma and even death if not recognized and treated properly, according to the National Institutes of Health. To help customers while they work to fix the situation, Aqua Illinois said they are providing bottled water to families with infants under six months in age from 12-7 p.m. CT at three different locations, until the drinking water alert is lifted. 1000 South Schuyler Avenue, Kankakee, IL 60901 1737 East Amberstone Road, Manteno, IL 60950 24650 South Western Avenue, University Park, IL 60484 Aqua Illinois provided the following statement to WGN TV News: 'Aqua Illinois' top priority is the health and safety of our customers. The drinking water alert for infants under six months old remains in effect. We continue to monitor nitrate levels closely, and we will notify our customers when the drinking water alert is lifted. We will continue to provide bottled water for families with infants under six months old until we can lift the alert. The nitrate levels leading to this event were unprecedented, and we appreciate our customers' patience and understanding as we work diligently to address this issue.' -Aqua Illinois In 2017, Aqua Illinois switched their water sources from wells to the Kankakee River, arguing the move was supposed to provide the village and surrounding customers with a cleaner, better source of water. But according to University Park Mayor Joseph Roudez, that has not been the case. 'We don't know how long this will go on,' Roudez said. 'They tricked us the first time and said the lead problem would only last for a couple of months, it lasted for over four years. We are just recovering from that.' Aqua Illinois said they are monitoring the nitrate levels in the Kankakee River closely and will notify customers when the alert is lifted. If you are pregnant or have specific health concerns, Aqua Illinois said they urge customers to consult their doctor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
19 hours ago
- Health
- CBS News
Aqua Illinois water problems expand to University Park, Governors State University sends alert
Issues with unsafe drinking water from Aqua Illinois in the south suburbs have now expanded to University Park, Illinois, as Governors State University sent out an alert to its community Monday morning. The university said a drinking water alert has been issued for the University Park area due to elevated levels of nitrates in the Kankakee River, which may be harmful to infants under 6 months old. The alert also warns not to boil the water, as boiling water can actually worsen the elevated nitrate levels. Water with elevated nitrate levels is also unsafe for pregnant women and people with certain health conditions. Friday, Aqua Illinois notified families in Will and Kankakee counties about the unsafe tap water in those areas too. "Aqua Illinois has never before experienced a nitrate exceedance at our Kankakee Water Treatment Plant," the company said Friday. "It is our assessment that spring fertilization and recent rains caused elevated nitrate levels in the river. Because of the unprecedented nature of this incident, we will be providing bottled water to certain high-risk customers in the impacted service area." The utility provider said bottled water should be used to prepare formula for infants. Generally, infants under 6 months old should not drink water outside of what is found in breastmilk or used for formula, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Aqua Illinois said it is distributing bottled water to people affected, though they have not announced distribution points in University Park yet. For more information, contact Aqua Illinois at 877-987-2782. Please note: The above video is from a previous report
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Drinking water alert issued for infants in 3 Chicago suburbs
The Brief Aqua Illinois has issued a drinking water alert for families with infants under six months old in Kankakee, Peotone, and University Park due to elevated nitrate levels. The utility says recent rains and spring fertilization likely caused the spike, which can be harmful to infants and should not be addressed by boiling the water. Bottled water will be distributed to affected families, and the company is actively monitoring the situation. KANKAKEE, Ill. - Aqua Illinois has issued a drinking water alert for families with infants under six months old in Kankakee, Peotone and University Park due to elevated nitrate levels in the Kankakee River. What we know Water samples from the Kankakee Water Treatment Plant revealed unusually high concentrations of nitrates, which can pose serious health risks to infants, including shortness of breath and a bluish skin tone. The utility advises that infants should not consume the water and that bottled water should be used to prepare formula. Boiling the water is not recommended, as it can increase nitrate concentration. The company believes the spike is linked to recent heavy rains and spring fertilization runoff. While adults and older children can continue to drink the water, pregnant individuals and those with health concerns are encouraged to consult their doctors. What you can do Aqua Illinois will distribute bottled water to families with infants starting Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. at the following locations: 1000 S. Schuyler Ave., Kankakee 1737 E. Amberstone Rd., Manteno 24650 S. Western Ave., University Park This marks the first nitrate exceedance at the Kankakee plant, according to Aqua Illinois. The company is actively monitoring the situation and will notify customers when water use can return to normal. For further information, customers can call Aqua Illinois at 877-987-2782. The Source The information in this report came from Aqua Illinois.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Drinking Water Alert issued for infants in Chicagoland
CHICAGO – Aqua Illinois has issued a drinking water alert for customers with infants due to high levels of nitrates from the Kankakee River. The alert affects customers served by the Kankakee Water Treatment Plant in the cities of Kanakee, Peotone and University Park. Officials said recent water samples show elevated levels of nitrates which may be harmful to infants under six months. Adults and children older than six months old may still drink the water. However, pregnant women and anyone with specific health concerns may want to consult their doctor. Salmonella outbreak tied to eggs sickens dozens across 7 states Aqua Illinois said it believes spring fertilization and recent rain caused the elevated level of nitrates. Bottled water will also be provided to certain high-risk consumers in the impacted service areas. Water will be available starting Sunday, June 8 between noon and 7 p.m. at the following locations: 1000 S. Schuyler Ave., Kankakee, IL 60901 1737 E. Amberstone Rd.,Manteno, IL 60950 24650 S Western Avenue, University Park, Il 60484 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Aqua Illinois issues drinking water alert for customers in Will and Kankakee counties
Aqua Illinois has issued a drinking water alert for families in Will and Kankakee counties, warning tap water might not be safe to drink for some people. The utility said samples taken at its Kankakee Water Treatment Plant showed high levels of nitrates, which could make it unsafe for infants under 6 months, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions to drink. "Aqua Illinois has never before experienced a nitrate exceedance at our Kankakee Water Treatment Plant," the company said. "It is our assessment that spring fertilization and recent rains caused elevated nitrate levels in the river. Because of the unprecedented nature of this incident, we will be providing bottled water to certain high-risk customers in the impacted service area." The company said infants should not drink the water and bottled water should be used to prepare formula. Boiling the water will not reduce the nitrate level, and Aqua Illinois said excessive boiling can actually make the nitrates more concentrated. Bottled water will be available for families with infants starting on Sunday between noon and 7 p.m. at three locations. 1000 S. Schuyler Ave., Kankakee, IL 60901 1737 E. Amberstone Rd., Manteno, IL 60950 24650 S Western Avenue, University Park, Il 60484 Water distribution will continue each day until the alert is lifted. Municipalities Affected by this notice Kankakee Municipalities served: City of Kankakee, Village of Bourbonnais, Village of Aroma Park, Village of Bradley, Village of Grant Park, Village of Limestone, Village of Manteno, Village of Peotone, Village of University Park and portions of the townships of Limestone, Bourbonnais, Kankakee, Manteno, Otto, Rockville, St. Anne, Summer, Yellowhead and Aroma. Peotone Municipalities served: Village of Peotone University Park Municipalities served: Village of University Park, portions of Green Garden, Crete and Monee townships. For more information, Aqua Illinois customers can contact the utility at 877.987.2782.
