Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Box Springs, Georgia (population ~2,786), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 229,000 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.

Water Sources

Box Springs water systems draw from: Surface water.

Lead & Copper

• Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: 0.0014 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

1 of 1 ZIP records with known zones is in EPA Radon Zone 3.

The EPA recommends testing all homes regardless of radon zone. County radon zones cannot replace an in-home radon test.

Areas with No Violations

All ZIP Codes in Box Springs

• 31801

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

Utilities keep service line inventories, which can show whether an address in Box Springs has a lead line regardless of the 1991 median build year.

1991

Median Year Built

27%

Pre-1986 (lead solder era; lead paint banned 1978)

4%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (4%) 1970–1986 (23%) Post-1986 (73%)

Most homes in Box Springs were built after 1986; lead exposure at a tap still depends on its service line and plumbing. Older homes should still be tested.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.

Box Springs: Remediation Cost in Perspective

Low tier for Box Springs: remediation estimated at up to 1% of what homes are worth.

Median Home Value

$173,500

Est. Remediation

$500

Remediation as % of home value 0.3%

Estimated remediation costs in Box Springs can be compared with local home values. The $300–$800 estimated range can be set against the median property value; actual costs vary by home. Home values are 21% below the Georgia average.

Protecting Children from Lead in Box Springs

27%

Homes Built Before 1986

0.0014

mg/L average of reported water-system 90th-percentile lead results (the 0.015 action level applies to each system's result, not to this average)

Why children are most at risk: The CDC states that no safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Children under 6 absorb lead more readily than adults, and even low levels can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.

Several limits apply to the lead numbers for Box Springs. The figure shown is an average of 90th-percentile results from ZIP codes in the city, and it is below 0.010 mg/L; the federal action level of 0.015 mg/L applies to each water system's own 90th percentile, not to an average like this one, and being below it does not make water free of lead. About 27% of local homes were built before 1986. A test at the home's own tap shows its level, and a filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead reduction is an option if a test finds lead.

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