Belleville, Ill. – September 25, 2026 -- Illinois American Water processes approximately 275 water samples per day at its Central Laboratory in Belleville, Illinois, as part of a structured source water protection program tied to the American Water Works Association's Source Water Protection Week, running September 27 to October 3.
Utility relies on multiple river and aquifer systems to supply 1.3 million customers
The company draws from the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, the Vermillion River headwaters, and groundwater resources including the Mahomet Aquifer to serve its Illinois service territory. Rebecca Losli, President of Illinois American Water, said high-quality drinking water originates upstream in shared landscapes rather than at treatment plants.
Protection program combines advanced filtration with interagency coordination
The utility applies filtration processes and updated cyanotoxin management plans, while coordinating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois EPA to meet or exceed water quality standards and address emerging contaminants. It also participates in the Upper Mississippi River Spills Group and local emergency planning committees in St. Clair, Madison and Peoria area communities to coordinate incident response.
Program manager frames protection as ongoing regional engagement, not static policy
Ted Kratschmer, Senior Source Water Protection Program Manager at Illinois American Water, said the company takes a proactive approach through regional efforts rather than treating protection as a static plan. He recommended individuals limit chemical runoff, dispose of pharmaceuticals and hazardous materials at designated collection sites, and report spills or illegal dumping to authorities.
Belleville lab anchors broader company-wide water quality infrastructure
American Water, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility in the United States, operates the Belleville facility as a quality control and research laboratory supporting its regulated operations across 14 states and 19 military installations, serving approximately 14 million people.