Rockford, IL: 3 Health Violations - Home Safety 61/100
14 ZIP codes · 9 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Rockford: C.
A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.
The C shown for Rockford, IL is an average of Home Safety Scores across the city's ZIP codes; that composite blends several data sources, so it can move for reasons unrelated to water, and it is not a measurement of what comes out of any tap in the city.
How Rockford Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Water Quality Map: Rockford, IL
Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.
Score Distribution
How ZIP codes in Rockford score across all safety grades.
What You Should Know About Rockford Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 31 violations since 2021.
- Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: 0.0073 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 71% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $600 per household.
- Health risk index (ZipCheckup composite of CDC data): 14.43.
Who Supplies Your Water in Rockford
When a city is linked to 9 water systems, as Rockford, IL is in federal records, water in one neighborhood may come from a different system than in another. The 3 systems with the largest reported populations are shown below, and their compliance records are kept separately, so a violation logged for one does not describe the others.
- C
- D
- C
Overview
We track home safety data for 14 ZIP codes in Rockford, Illinois, covering 9 community water systems serving approximately 178,644 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 9 of 14 ZIP codes.
9 of 9 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (100%) have recorded EPA violations. 3 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Rockford: C (61/100)
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
Rockford water systems draw from: Groundwater.
Lead & Copper
- Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: 0.0073 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 9 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
14 of 14 ZIP records with known zones are 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.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlordane | Organic | 20 | 9 |
| Nitrate | Inorganic | 12 | 9 |
| Combined Radium (-226 and -228) | Radionuclides | 11 | 3 |
| Dalapon | Organic | 10 | 9 |
| Dinoseb | Organic | 10 | 9 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61109 | C | 23 | 2 | Rockford |
| 61102 | C | 18 | 1 | Rockford |
| 61108 | C | 16 | 2 | Rockford |
| 61112 | C | 15 | 2 | Rockford |
| 61101 | C | 10 | 0 | Rockford |
| 61103 | D | 10 | 0 | Rockford |
| 61104 | — | 10 | 0 | Rockford |
| 61107 | C | 10 | 0 | Rockford |
| 61114 | C | 10 | 0 | Rockford |
All ZIP Codes in Rockford
- 61101 [C] - 10 violations
- 61102 [C] - 18 violations ⚠
- 61103 [D] - 10 violations
- 61104 - 10 violations recorded for mapped water systems
- 61105
- 61106
- 61107 [C] - 10 violations
- 61108 [C] - 16 violations ⚠
- 61109 [C] - 23 violations ⚠
- 61110
- 61112 [C] - 15 violations ⚠
- 61114 [C] - 10 violations
- 61125
- 61126
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 Rockford
Source: CDC PLACES (County-level estimates). County health indicators are shown for context only and are not linked to this area's water records.
Compared to National Average
Vertical line = national average. ■ Above national · ■ Below national
Top Contaminants in Rockford Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Housing & Infrastructure in Rockford
With 71% of homes built before 1986, lead solder in plumbing is a potential concern. Federal law banned lead solder in drinking-water plumbing in 1986, but many older homes retain original plumbing.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
Renovation history matters as much as age: in Rockford, with a median build year of 1961, some older homes have been replumbed and some have not.
Over half of homes in Rockford 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.
Cost Context: What Remediation Means for Rockford Homeowners
Of the three cost-context tiers - low, moderate and elevated - Rockford is in the low one.
Estimated remediation costs in Rockford can be compared with local home values. The $350–$1,000 estimated range can be set against the median property value; actual costs vary by home. Home values are 32% below the Illinois average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Rockford
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.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in Rockford
Historical NFIP data for Rockford contains 821 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $20,124. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 56% 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 $600 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 Rockford
- Test your water at home. City-level data shows averages - your tap may differ. Check the certification, price and turnaround time of any water test kit or lab service.
- Install a certified water filter. For Chlordane, listed in the water-quality records for Rockford: if it is a rule or reporting requirement rather than a contaminant, ask your utility what the record involved; for bacteria, follow any boil-water notice from your utility; for a specific chemical contaminant, check whether a filter is certified to reduce it. Not every contaminant has a consumer filter certification.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 71% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Rockford, IL