New City Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

The New City Water District or City of Springfield Water Division serves New City, Illinois, in Sangamon County, supplying unincorporated communities and rural areas around Springfield. Water is sourced from groundwater wells tapping deep aquifers beneath Sangamon County, with treatment at local wellhead facilities or primary Springfield plants such as the Adam Schantz Treatment Plant. The service area covers parts of central Illinois, delivering treated groundwater to approximately several thousand residents.

The supply relies on subsurface flow from the Mahomet Aquifer, a buried glacial valley fill aquifer spanning central Illinois within the broader Sangamon River Basin of the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Underlying rock formations include Paleozoic limestones and dolomites from the Devonian and Silurian periods, interspersed with Pleistocene glacial deposits. This carbonate-heavy geology imparts a very hard character through natural dissolution of minerals, yielding elevated dissolved solids compared to surface water sources nearer Lake Michigan.

At very hard levels, scale buildup in pipes, water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines is significant, reducing efficiency and lifespan while increasing energy costs. Dry skin, soap scum, and dish spotting are common household effects. Annual deliming of appliances and installing a water softener are strongly recommended. Groundwater pH typically ranges 7.2–8.0; treatment includes chlorine disinfection, aeration for iron removal, and sometimes softening or pH adjustment. Naturally elevated iron or manganese from aquifer sediments may be addressed via aeration and filtration; limited PFAS data is available, though central Illinois utilities monitor emerging contaminants per state requirements.