Kapaau, HI Home Safety: Home Safety 100/100
1 ZIP code · 2 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Kapaau: A.
No federal data flags a major home-safety concern for this ZIP.
Residents of Kapaau generally live with tap water that beats the HI safety average on key EPA compliance metrics.
How Kapaau Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Kapaau Water
- Average lead level: 0.0107 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 58% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- CDC health risk index: 12.35 - above typical levels.
Who Supplies Your Water in Kapaau
Federal drinking water records identify 2 systems in Kapaau, HI. The leading 2 providers serve the largest share of residential connections, each operating as a separate entity with its own rate authority, infrastructure management, and EPA compliance obligations - so service conditions are not uniform city-wide.
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Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Kapaau, Hawaii (population ~3,548), covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 5,783 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 Kapaau: A (100/100)
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
Kapaau water systems draw from: Groundwater.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0107 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 3 (Low Risk)
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 96755 | A | North Kohala | 4,933 |
All ZIP Codes in Kapaau
- 96755 [A]
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.
Health Outcomes in Kapaau
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
Housing & Infrastructure in Kapaau
With 58% 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
What does a median build year of 1987 mean for water safety in Kapaau? It means the majority of the city's residential plumbing was installed before 1986, when lead solder was federally banned, and a large share may predate 1970, when lead pipes were commonly used - making plumbing age a central variable in household-level lead risk across much of the city.
Over half of homes in Kapaau 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.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Kapaau
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.
If 58% of the Kapaau inventory comes from before the federal ban on lead-bearing solder - and if utility samples sit at or near 0.015 mg/L - the gap between citywide averages and one specific faucet becomes a practical concern rather than a theoretical one. That is why one-home reads exist as a separate measurement. A certified filter through retailer networks addresses confirmed exposure where it appears in a household.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Kapaau, HI