Prospect Heights, IL: 33 Violations - Home Safety 60/100
1 ZIP code · 5 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Prospect Heights: C.
A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.
Across Prospect Heights, EPA compliance data for IL sits at a moderate level - not alarming, but not uniformly clean across all service areas either.
How Prospect Heights Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Prospect Heights Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 33 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.005 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 77% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,600 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 11.18.
Water Systems Serving Prospect Heights
Water delivery in Prospect Heights, IL is handled by 3 utilities rather than a single system - drawn from 5 providers in federal records, each filing its own compliance reports and setting its own rates.
- C
- C
- C
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Prospect Heights, Illinois (population ~15,549), covering 5 community water systems serving approximately 167,512 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 1 of 1 ZIP codes.
1 of 1 ZIP code with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (100%) have recorded EPA violations. The available record reports no health-based violations for this measured scope.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Prospect Heights: C (60/100)
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
Prospect Heights water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0050 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 2 (Moderate Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 8 | 1 |
| Monochloroacetic Acid | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 1 |
| Bromate | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 1 |
| Chlorate | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 1 |
| Chloramine | Disinfectant | 4 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60070 | C | 33 | 0 | Il American-chicago Suburban |
All ZIP Codes in Prospect Heights
- 60070 [C] - 33 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
Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.
CDC Health Data for Prospect Heights
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
Key Contaminants Detected in Prospect Heights
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Prospect Heights's Housing Stock?
With 77% 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
Heavily weighted toward older construction, Prospect Heights's housing stock carries a median build year of 1975. That profile puts a majority of homes in the era when lead-soldered copper plumbing was standard practice.
Over half of homes in Prospect Heights 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.
Prospect Heights: Remediation Cost in Perspective
In Prospect Heights, property wealth outpaces what documented remediation typically demands - the equity burden lands well within the low tier.
Remediation costs in Prospect Heights are relatively low compared to home values. The $800–$2,600 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 87% above the Illinois average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Prospect Heights
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.
After the federal action removing lead-bearing solder from new plumbing took effect, building practice shifted - but 77% of the Prospect Heights inventory predates that line. With aggregate samples near or beyond 0.015 mg/L, an in-home check moves out of the optional column into the standard list.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Prospect Heights
Historical NFIP data for Prospect Heights contains 100 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $18,504. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 0% have an A- or V-family dominant rated zone recorded in those historical claims. This is not a complete current FEMA property-map inventory.
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. The <strong>$1,600</strong> remediation estimate shown here excludes flood insurance and is not derived from NFIP claim count.
Claim count does not establish current property risk. Check the exact address in FEMA's current map and obtain a property-specific insurance quote when relevant.
Source: historical FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim records. No current FEMA property-map designation is asserted.
What You Can Do in Prospect Heights
- Test your water at home. City-level data shows averages - your tap may differ. NSF-certified test kits cost $20-40 and give results in days.
- Install a certified water filter. Filters rated for Surface Water Treatment Rule can reduce the most common contaminant found in Prospect Heights's water.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 77% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Prospect Heights, IL