Needles, CA: 3 Violations - Home Safety 74/100
1 ZIP code · 1 water system · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Needles: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Water systems serving Needles hold a strong EPA compliance record - the city places among the better-performing areas in CA with few health-based violations on file.
How Needles Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Key Facts for Needles Residents
- Your city's water systems recorded 3 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0034 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 56% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,600 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 11.58.
Needles's Water Providers
For most households in Needles, CA, tap water comes from one provider - the utility that controls the local distribution system out of 1 tracked in federal record.
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Needles, California (population ~5,392), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 8,766 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 Needles: B (74/100)
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
Needles water systems draw from: Groundwater.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0034 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 2 (Moderate Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | Inorganic | 6 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92363 | B | 3 | 0 | City of Needles, |
All ZIP Codes in Needles
- 92363 [B] - 3 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.
Needles Community Health Snapshot
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
What's in Needles's Water?
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Needles Infrastructure Age
With 56% 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
Viewed through the lens of construction era, Needles is predominantly an older city - a median build year of 1986 puts most of the residential inventory in the range where pre-1986 plumbing materials were the standard.
Over half of homes in Needles 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.
How Remediation Costs Compare in Needles
Homeowners in Needles are working with a moderate equity share for documented remediation - the commitment deserves a line in the household budget, not dismissal.
Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Needles. The estimated $800–$2,600 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 81% below the California average.
Needles: Lead Risk & Vulnerable Populations
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.
Pulling a tap sample fills the gap that utility data cannot close, particularly here where 56% of housing dates from the pre-rule era and citywide monitoring sits at or above the regulatory mark in Needles.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Needles: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context
Historical NFIP data for Needles contains 4 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $8,874. 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>$1,600</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 Needles, CA