Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Essie, Kentucky (population ~993), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 9,614 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

Essie 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 2.

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 Essie

• 40827

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

Lead solder was allowed in new plumbing until the 1986 federal restrictions, which is why older homes in Essie deserve a closer look; the median build year is 1995.

1995

Median Year Built

30%

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

4%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (4%) 1970–1986 (26%) Post-1986 (70%)

Most homes in Essie were built after 1986; lead exposure at a tap still depends on its service line and plumbing. Older homes should still be tested.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.

Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Essie

30%

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.

Several limits apply to the lead numbers for Essie. The figure shown is an average of 90th-percentile results from ZIP codes in the city, and it is below 0.010 mg/L; the federal action level of 0.015 mg/L applies to each water system's own 90th percentile, not to an average like this one, and being below it does not make water free of lead. About 30% of local homes were built before 1986. A test at the home's own tap shows its level, and a filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead reduction is an option if a test finds lead.

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