Porterville, CA: 38 Health Violations - Home Safety 54/100
2 ZIP codes · 5 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Porterville: D.
Several federal signals point to home-safety risks in this ZIP.
Your top priority: consider a certified water filter (38 health violations on record). NSF certified filters →
Public water data for Porterville, CA shows a low safety grade - health-based violations appear across a meaningful share of service areas in current EPA records.
How Porterville Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Porterville Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 41 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0065 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 52% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,900 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 12.22 - above typical levels.
Water Systems Serving Porterville
In Porterville, CA, residential water supply is distributed across multiple utilities rather than concentrated in one. The 3 leading providers out of 5 tracked systems each control their own infrastructure, file separate EPA compliance reports, and set independent rate schedules.
- D
- D
- D
Overview
We track home safety data for 2 ZIP codes in Porterville, California, covering 5 community water systems serving approximately 80,581 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 2 of 2 ZIP codes.
2 of 2 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (100%) have recorded EPA violations. 38 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Porterville: D (54/100)
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
Porterville water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0065 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 2 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 2 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined Radium | Radionuclides | 40 | 1 |
| Lead | Inorganic | 34 | 1 |
| Stage 2 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 6 | 2 |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 2 | 1 |
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93257 | D | 41 | 38 | City of Porterville, |
| 93258 | — | 2 | 1 | Poplar Commission Service District |
All ZIP Codes in Porterville
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.
CDC Health Data for Porterville
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
Key Contaminants Detected in Porterville
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Porterville's Housing Stock?
With 52% 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
Porterville's housing stock is predominantly older, with a median build year of 1990 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 Porterville 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.
Porterville: Remediation Cost in Perspective
Setting Porterville remediation figures against its property market, the resulting ratio sits comfortably in the low tier - a classification that reflects the kind of household financial position where most homeowners can identify documented issues, schedule the work, and absorb the cost without it registering as a significant budget disruption.
Remediation costs in Porterville are relatively low compared to home values. The $900–$3,600 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 63% below the California average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Porterville
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.
Practically, the structural drivers in Porterville - 52% pre-rule stock and citywide monitoring at or beyond the regulatory benchmark - make an in-home draw the practical way to translate aggregate averages into the specific conditions at one address.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Porterville
Historical NFIP data for Porterville contains 34 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $7,493. 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>$1,900</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.
What You Can Do in Porterville
- Test your water at home. City-level data shows averages - your tap may differ. NSF-certified test kits cost $20-40 and give results in days.
- Install a certified water filter. Filters rated for Combined Radium can reduce the most common contaminant found in Porterville's water.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 52% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
- Review your water system's CCR. Your utility publishes an annual Consumer Confidence Report with detailed test results. Request it or find it online.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Porterville, CA