The water systems supplying Northfield show a track record of above-average compliance with federal standards - consistently among the better performers in CT.

Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Northfield, Connecticut (population ~1,618), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 3,097 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 1 of 1 ZIP codes.

The available EPA record reports 0 violations for 1 ZIP code with a reported violation count.

Home Safety Score

Average Home Safety Score for Northfield: B (83/100)

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

Northfield water systems draw from: Surface water.

Lead & Copper

• Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0000 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.

Areas with No Violations

All ZIP Codes in Northfield

• 06778 [B]

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.

Housing Age Profile

While newer cities carry lower aggregate plumbing risk from lead-era construction, Northfield sits firmly in the older category. The median build year of 1976 indicates that more than half the housing stock was built before 1986, when lead solder was still legally used in residential copper plumbing - and a substantial portion likely predates 1970, when lead pipes were still commonly installed for service lines. These two thresholds together define the elevated plumbing risk environment that older housing cities carry, independent of what the municipal water supply delivers to the meter.

1976

Median Year Built

84%

Pre-1986 (Lead Paint Risk)

29%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (29%) 1970–1986 (55%) Post-1986 (16%)

Over half of homes in Northfield 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 Northfield Homeowners

Low proportionality - that's the Northfield picture when remediation costs are placed against typical home equity.

Median Home Value

$298,000

Est. Remediation

$400

Remediation as % of home value 0.1%

Remediation costs in Northfield are relatively low compared to home values. The $0–$800 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 27% below the Connecticut average.

Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Northfield

84%

Homes Built Before 1986

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.

Although utility-side compliance with federal Lead and Copper requirements remains the system reference, that compliance does not extend down into interior plumbing. With 84% of Northfield stock built before the solder ban and aggregate readings at or beyond the action mark, a household-level sample becomes the practical way to close that information gap.

Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.