Federal regulators are recommending that the city of Galesburg provide bottled water or filters to residents affected by high levels of lead in their drinking water.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is also urging the city to pay for additional testing for lead for all customers who request that service.
The actions come in response to an investigation published this month by The Associated Press, which found that Galesburg had one of the nation's most persistent problems of lead in the drinking water.
Records show the city's water has repeatedly exceeded the federal lead-action level over the last 25 years.
In an April 20 letter, EPA official Tinka Hyde says the agency "will consider other options to protect public health" if the city doesn't provide alternate water or filters.
