Elkhorn City, KY: 10 Health Violations - Home Safety 77/100
1 ZIP code · 2 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Elkhorn City: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Your top priority: consider a certified water filter (10 health violations on record). NSF certified filters →
Within Elkhorn City, safety indicators for tap water remain above the KY median - documented violations are infrequent and the city's compliance record sits in the upper tier.
How Elkhorn City Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Elkhorn City Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 10 violations in the past 5 years.
- Homes built before 1986: 54% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,600 per household.
Water Systems Serving Elkhorn City
Federal drinking water records identify 2 systems in Elkhorn City, KY. The leading 2 providers serve the largest share of residential connections, each operating as a separate entity with its own rate authority, infrastructure management, and EPA compliance obligations - so service conditions are not uniform city-wide.
- B
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Elkhorn City, Kentucky (population ~4,847), covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 45,780 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. 10 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Elkhorn City: B (77/100)
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
Elkhorn City water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 20 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41522 | B | 10 | 10 | Mountain Water District |
All ZIP Codes in Elkhorn City
- 41522 [B] - 10 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.
Key Contaminants Detected in Elkhorn City
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Elkhorn City's Housing Stock?
With 54% 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
Elkhorn City's housing stock is predominantly older, with a median build year of 1986 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 Elkhorn City 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.
Elkhorn City: Remediation Cost in Perspective
Across the Elkhorn City housing market, the estimated remediation share lands in a middle tier - not a minor footnote, but not a prohibitive burden either; the cost-to-value ratio reflects a moderate equity commitment, one that sits above routine maintenance territory and warrants a dedicated line in the household budget.
Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Elkhorn City. The estimated $800–$2,600 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 41% below the Kentucky average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Elkhorn City
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 54% of the Elkhorn City 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.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Elkhorn City
Historical NFIP data for Elkhorn City contains 42 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $16,713. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 100% 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.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Elkhorn City, KY