West Ridge
West Ridge, IL water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
West Ridge is a small but growing city and the 24th-largest in Illinois, home to roughly 72,211 residents. West Ridge's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Illinois: Lake Michigan, Mississippi River, and deep aquifers.
As elsewhere in Illinois, the central challenge is aging infrastructure. Lake Michigan provides Chicago abundant supply, but suburban communities pumping deep aquifers face declining levels.
Illinois reuses an estimated 5% of its treated wastewater and maintains minimal reuse programs; West Ridge tracks abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Illinois profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping West Ridge below.
At a glance
- Population ~72,211 (24th-largest in Illinois)
- Primary sources: Lake Michigan, Mississippi River, and deep aquifers
- Drought: abnormally dry to moderate conditions
- State reuse rate: ~5% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Illinois in severe+ drought (Moderate (D1) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in West Ridge?
West Ridge is served by community water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Statewide, 23.5% of Illinois's systems have a recent health-based violation. Check your provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report for local results.
Where does West Ridge get its water?
West Ridge draws from the same regional sources that serve Illinois: Lake Michigan, Mississippi River, deep aquifers.
Related water issues
Aging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
ExploreGroundwater Depletion
Aquifers from the Central Valley to the Ogallala are being pumped faster than they recharge, causing land subsidence and threatening long-term supply.
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