Hundreds of thousands of residents are served by the affected systems. City officials must monitor and mitigate the PFAS in the years ahead.By Douglas J. GuthThe warnings came in the mail this spring to 47 community water systems serving more than 400,000 Illinois residents: Elevated levels of harmful PFAS, better known as “forever chemicals,” had been found in their drinking water.
Observations from the Little Bunker
Last updated: August 18, 2025 04:13 PM
Atmospheric CO₂
425.4 ppm
+18.4
ppm/year
Atmospheric CH₄
1934.91 ppb
+9.11
ppb/year
Global Temperature
+1.48 °C
Peak: +1.73°C
World Population
8.1 billion
+67
million/year