Alachua, FL: 4 Violations - Home Safety 83/100
2 ZIP codes · 4 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Alachua: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
In current tracking cycles, Alachua records above-average water quality outcomes for FL; compliance history over recent years shows few departures from federal standards and no systemic failures across its water systems.
How Alachua Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Alachua Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 4 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.014 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 55% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,600 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 11.37.
Water Systems Serving Alachua
Alachua, FL is covered by 3 major water utilities out of 4 federally tracked systems, each managing its own pipes, treatment processes, and EPA filings. What a household gets from the tap depends on which provider's system serves that address.
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 2 ZIP codes in Alachua, Florida (population ~16,362), covering 4 community water systems serving approximately 213,668 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 2 of 2 ZIP codes.
1 of 2 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (50%) have recorded EPA violations. The available record reports no health-based violations for this measured scope.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Alachua: 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
Alachua water systems draw from: Groundwater.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0140 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 4 | 1 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 2 | 1 |
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32615 | — | 4 | 0 | Alachua Wtp |
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32616 | B | Alachua Wtp | 8,220 |
All ZIP Codes in Alachua
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 Alachua
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 Alachua
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Alachua's Housing Stock?
With 55% 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
When a city's housing median build year is 1991, as in Alachua, the implication for water quality research is straightforward: municipal-level data captures what leaves the treatment plant, but household plumbing from before 1986 determines what actually arrives at the tap. In cities where older housing predominates, that gap between system-level and household-level data is widest.
Over half of homes in Alachua 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.
Alachua: Remediation Cost in Perspective
The household financial picture for Alachua homeowners is proportionally favorable - addressing documented issues claims a small slice of equity, and the cost-to-value ratio puts this area well within the manageable tier.
Remediation costs in Alachua are relatively low compared to home values. The $750–$2,650 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 14% below the Florida average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Alachua
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.
When older housing represents 55% of the local inventory or aggregate readings approach the federal action level, an in-home check becomes the standard way to translate citywide averages into the specific reality of an individual Alachua address.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Alachua
Historical NFIP data for Alachua contains 24 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $47,646. 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 Alachua, FL