Punta Gorda, FL: 90 Violations — 73/100 (2026)
6 ZIP codes · 6 water systems · Updated 2026-06-03
Residents of Punta Gorda generally live with tap water that beats the FL safety average on key EPA compliance metrics.
How Punta Gorda Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-06-03
Water Quality Map: Punta Gorda, FL
Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.
Score Distribution
How ZIP codes in Punta Gorda score across all safety grades.
What You Should Know About Punta Gorda Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 90 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0044 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 32% — older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $2,200 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 15.45 — above typical levels.
Who Supplies Your Water in Punta Gorda
Throughout Punta Gorda, FL, water comes from one of 3 primary utilities out of 6 total systems — independent providers with different rate structures, infrastructure, and compliance records that vary across the service territory.
Overview
We track water quality and home safety data for 6 ZIP codes in Punta Gorda, Florida (population ~79,003), covering 6 community water systems serving approximately 232,757 people region-wide.
6 of 6 ZIP codes (100%) have recorded EPA violations. All violations are monitoring/reporting type.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Punta Gorda: B (73/100)
The score combines three factors:
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | EPA violations and compliance history |
| Lead Levels | 90th percentile lead concentration vs EPA action level |
| Radon Risk | EPA radon zone classification |
Water Sources
Punta Gorda water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0044 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 ZIP codes exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 6 ZIP codes
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Coliform | Microbiological | 42 | 6 |
| Lead | Inorganic | 14 | 6 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 14 | 6 |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 14 | 6 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 14 | 6 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33950 | C | 15 | 0 | City of Punta Gorda |
| 33951 | A | 15 | 0 | City of Punta Gorda |
| 33955 | B | 15 | 0 | City of Punta Gorda |
| 33980 | B | 15 | 0 | Charlotte Harbor Water Assn. |
| 33982 | B | 15 | 0 | City of Punta Gorda |
| 33983 | B | 15 | 0 | Charlotte Harbor Water Assn. |
All ZIP Codes in Punta Gorda
- 33950 [C] — 15 violations
- 33951 [A] — 15 violations
- 33955 [B] — 15 violations
- 33980 [B] — 15 violations
- 33982 [B] — 15 violations
- 33983 [B] — 15 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
Updated daily.
Health Outcomes in Punta Gorda
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 Punta Gorda Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Housing & Infrastructure in Punta Gorda
Housing age data helps assess potential lead pipe and infrastructure risks. Newer housing stock generally means lower plumbing-related contamination risk.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
When trying to understand water quality at the household level, the year a home was built often matters more than any city-wide water report. That's because the 1986 federal ban on lead solder in plumbing, and the earlier phase-out of lead pipes before 1970, created sharp discontinuities in residential plumbing risk by construction era. Punta Gorda's median build year of 1996 puts the city in the transition zone: a substantial share of the housing stock postdates the solder ban, but a comparable fraction predates it — with the oldest homes carrying both the solder risk and the pipe risk simultaneously. Whether any individual household sits on the safer or riskier side of these thresholds is the key question, and it's one the city-wide median alone can't answer.
Most homes in Punta Gorda were built after 1986, reducing the risk of lead contamination from plumbing. Older homes should still be tested.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
Cost Context: What Remediation Means for Punta Gorda Homeowners
In Punta Gorda, the equity impact of remediation is proportionally small — not the kind of financial commitment that rises to the level of a genuine planning constraint, but a minor share of what most properties here are worth.
Remediation costs in Punta Gorda are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,467–$3,067 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 5% below the Florida average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Punta Gorda
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.
32% — that captures the slice of Punta Gorda housing dating from before the federal ban on solder containing lead. It pairs with aggregate utility readings that either approach or cross 0.015 mg/L, the benchmark set under the EPA Lead and Copper Rule. Together, the two figures shift one-home reads into a standard household-level confirmation, particularly for families with kids. A certified lead-removal filter is available through retailer-verified channels if a kit returns results that warrant additional measures.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Flood & Climate Risk in Punta Gorda
Punta Gorda's flood profile — 4736 NFIP claims over the program's multi-decade period and 100% of ZIP codes within FEMA-designated flood zones — reflects a community where flooding has shaped the local risk landscape in sustained ways. That sustained exposure has specific consequences for water quality that don't apply to lower-exposure areas. Treatment facilities handling intake from flood-saturated watersheds face contaminant loads that can exceed normal filtration capacity. Private wells in FEMA-designated zones face surface infiltration risk during every significant event. Distribution systems in areas that flood repeatedly accumulate backflow stress over time. None of these represent constant threats to water quality, but they are activated by the kinds of events that the NFIP record shows have occurred here, repeatedly, over many years.
Punta Gorda has a significant flood history with 4,736 FEMA flood insurance claims on record, averaging $29,877 per claim. With 100% of ZIP codes in FEMA-designated flood zones, flood risk is a major concern for homeowners and water quality.
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. Flood damage can add significantly to the estimated <strong>$2,200</strong> remediation cost per household.
Residents in flood-prone areas should consider flood insurance even outside FEMA zones — over 25% of flood claims come from low-to-moderate risk areas. After any flood event, test your water before drinking.
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data, FEMA flood zone designations.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Punta Gorda, FL