Laurens, IA: High Radon Risk - Home Safety Score unavailable
1 ZIP code · 0 water systems · Updated
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Laurens Water
- Homes built before 1986: 93% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,200 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 14.45 - above typical levels.
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Laurens, Iowa, covering 0 community water system serving approximately 1,639 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 0 of 1 ZIP codes.
EPA water-system violation data is unavailable in the dataset used for this page for the tracked ZIP codes in Laurens.
Lead & Copper
- Lead data: not yet available for Laurens
- Lead action-level status: not available
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 1 (High Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
All ZIP Codes in Laurens
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 Laurens
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 Laurens
With 93% 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
Laurens's housing stock is predominantly older, with a median build year of 1941 that reflects decades of construction before federal plumbing standards were tightened. The 1986 ban on lead solder and the pre-1970 era of lead service lines are both relevant benchmarks here - a significant share of the residential inventory predates one or both of those cutoffs, creating an elevated baseline for plumbing-related lead risk that aggregate water quality data may not fully reflect at the household level.
Over half of homes in Laurens 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 Laurens Homeowners
Homeowners in Laurens are working with a moderate equity share for documented remediation - the commitment deserves a line in the household budget, not dismissal.
Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Laurens. The estimated $800–$1,500 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 48% below the Iowa average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Laurens
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.
Before the federal solder ban, lead solder was a routine plumbing material, and 93% of the Laurens inventory was built in that earlier era - a share large enough to move household-level reads onto the standard list.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Laurens, IA