Bayou La Batre, AL: 7 Violations - Home Safety 98/100
1 ZIP code · 2 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Bayou La Batre: A.
No federal data flags a major home-safety concern for this ZIP.
Based on current monitoring, Bayou La Batre holds an above-average drinking water safety record for AL - violations are infrequent and typically minor when they do appear.
How Bayou La Batre Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Bayou La Batre Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 7 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0012 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 62% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,800 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 14.59 - above typical levels.
Who Supplies Your Water in Bayou La Batre
2 water systems are tracked federally in Bayou La Batre, AL. The top 2 providers collectively serve most residential addresses, but because they operate independently, infrastructure maintenance standards and compliance histories differ from one service zone to another.
- A
- A
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Bayou La Batre, Alabama (population ~1,462), covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 18,384 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 1 of 1 ZIP codes.
1 of 1 ZIP code with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (100%) have recorded EPA violations. The available record reports no health-based violations for this measured scope.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Bayou La Batre: A (98/100)
Model 4.0.0 uses four measured components across three equally weighted domains. If a required domain is unavailable, no score is published:
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | EPA violations and compliance history |
| PFAS MCL Screen | UCMR 5 testing against the covered federal MCLs |
| Radon Risk | EPA radon zone classification |
| Annual AQI | EPA AirData county-year median with at least 90 observed days |
Water Sources
Bayou La Batre water systems draw from: Groundwater.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0012 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 1 ZIP code with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 1 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 1 |
| Chlorodibromomethane | Disinfection Byproducts | 2 | 1 |
| Bromate | Disinfection Byproducts | 2 | 1 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | Treatment Technique | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36509 | A | 7 | 0 | Bayou La Batre Utilities |
All ZIP Codes in Bayou La Batre
- 36509 [A] - 7 violations
Data Sources
- Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
- Lead/copper: EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data
- Radon: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.
Health Outcomes in Bayou La Batre
Source: CDC PLACES (County-level estimates). Water contamination can correlate with respiratory and chronic health conditions.
Compared to National Average
Vertical line = national average. ■ Above national · ■ Below national
Top Contaminants in Bayou La Batre Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Housing & Infrastructure in Bayou La Batre
With 62% of homes built before 1986, lead solder in plumbing is a potential concern. The EPA banned lead solder in 1986, but many older homes retain original plumbing.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
Bayou La Batre's housing stock is predominantly older, with a median build year of 1976 that reflects decades of construction before federal plumbing standards were tightened. The 1986 ban on lead solder and the pre-1970 era of lead service lines are both relevant benchmarks here - a significant share of the residential inventory predates one or both of those cutoffs, creating an elevated baseline for plumbing-related lead risk that aggregate water quality data may not fully reflect at the household level.
Over half of homes in Bayou La Batre were built before 1986, when lead solder was banned. Older plumbing may leach lead into drinking water, especially with corrosive water chemistry.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
Cost Context: What Remediation Means for Bayou La Batre Homeowners
What should Bayou La Batre property owners understand before approaching remediation at this cost-to-value tier? That the equity share is elevated enough to treat this as a formal financial decision - one where knowing the full scope and prioritizing documented issues by urgency shape the outcome more than any single variable, given where this market falls on the remediation-share scale.
At 2.1% of home value, remediation costs in Bayou La Batre represent a significant financial burden. For homes valued near the median, fixing water and safety issues could cost $1,200–$2,500. Home values here are 49% below the Alabama average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Bayou La Batre
Why children are most at risk: The CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Children under 6 absorb lead more readily than adults, and even low levels can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.
Before the federal solder ban, lead solder was a routine plumbing material, and 62% of the Bayou La Batre inventory was built in that earlier era - a share large enough to move household-level reads onto the standard list.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in Bayou La Batre
Historical NFIP data for Bayou La Batre contains 647 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $58,530. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 100% have an A- or V-family dominant rated zone recorded in those historical claims. This is not a complete current FEMA property-map inventory.
How flooding affects water quality: Flood events can introduce sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial chemicals into water supplies. Even after floodwaters recede, contamination can persist in wells and aging infrastructure. The <strong>$1,800</strong> remediation estimate shown here excludes flood insurance and is not derived from NFIP claim count.
Claim count does not establish current property risk. Check the exact address in FEMA's current map and obtain a property-specific insurance quote when relevant.
Source: historical FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim records. No current FEMA property-map designation is asserted.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Bayou La Batre, AL