South Barrington, IL tap water
Supplied mostly by South Barrington, plus 1 other utility. Here's what the water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chlorine
Your water is treated with chlorine. It slowly gases off from standing water, and any water conditioner removes it.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Nitrite (NO₂)
Not detected (Low)
Not detected in testing, so any nitrite in your tank comes from the tank itself.
From EPA monitoring data (2014–2017).
Nitrate (NO₃)
Up to 1.6 ppm (Low)
Typically not detected
Not detected in testing, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From EPA monitoring data; Chicago, which supplies Hoffman Estates (2012–2025).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Supplier's figure130–151 ppm
Typical 140 ppm
Moderately soft to medium. Suits most community fish and plants.
From the utility that supplies yours: Chicago, which supplies Hoffman Estates.
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
116–680 ppm
Typical 680 ppm
Strong buffering. pH stays steady and hard to lower without RO water.
From EPA monitoring data; Chicago, which supplies Hoffman Estates (2017–2019).
pH
Supplier's figure8.2–9.4
Typical 8.8
Alkaline. Many utilities raise pH to protect pipes. Stability matters more than the exact number.
From the utility that supplies yours: Chicago, which supplies Hoffman Estates (2025).
Total dissolved solids
Area estimate295–1881 ppm
Typical 589 ppm
A rough measure of everything dissolved in the water. RO water reads near 0, so TDS is a quick way to compare waters.
Area estimate from nearby wells: USGS well samples in your county (2000–2021).
- Hoffman Estates adds phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.
Who supplies South Barrington, IL
South Barrington
Serves 53% of residents · Groundwater (wells) · Chlorine
Hoffman Estates
Serves 28% of residents · Buys water from Northwest Suburban Municipal Jawa · Chlorine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
Tap water lookup covers US cities only for now. Want to know why it matters? Read our story on tap water.
Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.