Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Middletown, Iowa (population ~427), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 8,375 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

Middletown water systems draw from: Surface water.

Lead & Copper

• Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: reported as 0 mg/L (a reported 0 is not proof of no lead; check the source record for its reporting limit) (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 1.

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 Middletown

• 52638

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

Plumbing risk in older housing is tied to the period before 1986, when lead pipes and lead solder were still permitted in new plumbing. Middletown's median build year is 1978, and properties from before that year might still contain lead-bearing joints or pipes. Much of that risk sits inside individual properties, which city-level water quality averages don't capture.

1978

Median Year Built

67%

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

49%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (49%) 1970–1986 (18%) Post-1986 (33%)

Over half of homes in Middletown were built before 1986, when federal law began restricting lead solder in drinking-water plumbing. Older plumbing may leach lead into drinking water, especially with corrosive water chemistry.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.

Middletown: Remediation Cost in Perspective

Here the gap between local home values and the estimated repair bill is wide, so the percentage shown below for Middletown stays at or under the 1% mark.

Median Home Value

$156,300

Est. Remediation

$500

Remediation as % of home value 0.3%

Estimated remediation costs in Middletown 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 5% below the Iowa average.

Protecting Children from Lead in Middletown

67%

Homes Built Before 1986

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.

If you have young children or are pregnant, consider testing your home's water - especially if your home was built before 1986.

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