One or more “forever chemicals” have been found in South Elgin’s groundwater supply by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

“The village voluntarily had a water quality test done by the Illinois EPA,” South Elgin spokesman Craig Pierce said. “It showed there is a slight elevation above the standard, which was four parts per trillion. However, it is the smallest number that could be detected.”

Village officials understand why residents would be concerned about the presence of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, Pierce said, but said the test results do not represent an immediate health concern.

“There are more PFAS in a lot of different bottled water than what’s in the village’s water supply,” Pierce said.

That said, South Elgin is doing everything possible to resolve the issue, including notifying residents of the situation through email and a letter inside utility bills and providing information on its $7 million water quality improvement project, which started last year, he said.

Using money from the American Rescue Plan Act and reserves in the village’s utility fund, the village is building a new 1.25 million-gallon water tower near Kingsport Drive and Ione Drive to replace the one on West Spring Street near McLean Boulevard, Pierce said.

When the old water tower is gone, a new deep well will be drilled at the site that’s 2,000 feet below ground and deep enough to ensure no PFAS contaminate the water, he said. It will be six times deeper than the shallow wells currently being used when finished in 2026.

Of the 47 communities whose groundwater was tested, South Elgin was among 21 towns that had PFAS levels exceeding quality standards. The IEPA testing is something the village has been having done regularly since 2021.

Illinois’ Right-to-Know laws require municipalities to notify residents of the test results when one or more PFAS amounts exceed newly enacted groundwater quality standards, according to an IEPA press release.

South Elgin is required to send out a letter and a water report to residents for “anything that shows up that’s not within the standards,” Pierce said.

According to the IEPA website, PFAS are made up of “chains of carbon and fluorine linked together. The carbon-fluorine bond is one of the shortest and strongest bonds in nature and does not easily break down under natural conditions.”

“This has resulted in PFAS being released into the air, water and soil,” the site said. “PFAS do not easily break down under natural conditions and are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals.’”

PFAS are used in products because of their oil- and water-resistant properties. “Forever chemicals” can be found in food packaging, nonstick cookware, cosmetics and personal care products, paint and sealants, the site said.

Research is ongoing in regards to their health effects, but it’s possible they can lead to some types of cancer, increased cholesterol levels, increased thyroid disease risk, reduced response to vaccines in children and high blood pressure during pregnancy, the IEPA says.

South Elgin’s website has information on how to mitigate possible contamination by using filtration products and systems, Pierce said.

The village is the only Fox Valley community undergoing IEPA testing. Illinois municipalities must be compliant with PFAS standards for drinking water by 2031.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.