Hammond, IN: 20 Violations - Home Safety 71/100
5 ZIP codes · 4 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Hammond: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Across Hammond, EPA monitoring data shows low violation rates and healthy safety margins - a pattern that places the city well above IN's average for drinking water compliance across recent reporting cycles.
How Hammond Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Hammond Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 20 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0042 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 92% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,360 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 14.49 - above typical levels.
Water Systems Serving Hammond
Throughout Hammond, IN, water comes from one of 3 primary utilities out of 4 total systems - independent providers with different rate structures, infrastructure, and compliance records that vary across the service territory.
- B
- B
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 5 ZIP codes in Hammond, Indiana (population ~69,511), covering 4 community water systems serving approximately 339,158 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 4 of 5 ZIP codes.
4 of 4 ZIP codes 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 Hammond: B (71/100)
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
Hammond water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0042 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 4 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 5 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting | 12 | 4 |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 7 | 4 |
| Contaminant 2035 | Other | 5 | 4 |
| Contaminant 2037 | Other | 5 | 4 |
| Atrazine | Organic | 5 | 4 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46320 | B | 16 | 0 | Hammond Water Works Department |
| 46324 | C | 11 | 0 | Hammond Water Works Department |
| 46323 | B | 7 | 0 | Hammond Water Works Department |
| 46327 | B | 7 | 0 | Hammond Water Works Department |
All ZIP Codes in Hammond
- 46320 [B] - 16 violations
- 46323 [B] - 7 violations
- 46324 [C] - 11 violations
- 46325
- 46327 [B] - 7 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 Hammond
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 Hammond
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Hammond's Housing Stock?
With 92% 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
The median home in Hammond was built in 1951 - a figure that places most of the city's residential stock in the era when lead solder was still standard in copper plumbing. Homes built before 1986 may have lead-soldered joints; those built before 1970 face the additional possibility of lead pipes in the service line itself.
Over half of homes in Hammond 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.
Hammond: Remediation Cost in Perspective
In Hammond, the equity impact of remediation is proportionally small - not the kind of financial commitment that rises to the level of a genuine planning constraint, but a minor share of what most properties here are worth.
Remediation costs in Hammond are relatively low compared to home values. The $640–$2,240 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 21% below the Indiana average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Hammond
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.
Despite citywide averages serving as the standard public reference point, those aggregates cannot resolve what is happening at one specific faucet - and where 92% of Hammond homes come from before the solder rule or where utility samples sit at or above the action mark, the gap between system data and faucet reality matters more than it does in lower-exposure communities. An in-home draw closes that gap, with certified filtration through retailer networks available where confirmed faucet results warrant additional measures.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Hammond
Historical NFIP data for Hammond contains 389 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $4,545. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 75% 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>$1,360</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.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Hammond, IN