Melbourne, KY Home Safety: Home Safety 83/100
1 ZIP code · 1 water system · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Melbourne: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Melbourne's tap water quality puts it in KY's upper tier - health-based violations are rare and the compliance record is consistently above average.
How Melbourne Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Melbourne Water
- Homes built before 1986: 71% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $2,100 per household.
Who Supplies Your Water in Melbourne
As of current federal records, Melbourne, KY is served primarily by one water utility among 1 tracked system. That single provider handles infrastructure investment, rate adjustments, and regulatory reporting under EPA oversight.
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Melbourne, Kentucky (population ~3,166), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 259,949 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.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Melbourne: B (83/100)
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
Melbourne 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.
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41059 | B | Northern Kentucky Water District | 259,949 |
All ZIP Codes in Melbourne
- 41059 [B]
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 & Infrastructure in Melbourne
With 71% 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
When more than half a city's housing predates the 1986 federal ban on lead solder, plumbing-era lead risk becomes a citywide concern rather than an exception. Melbourne's median build year of 1977 places it squarely in that category.
Over half of homes in Melbourne 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.
Cost Context: What Remediation Means for Melbourne Homeowners
While no remediation project is entirely without cost, the relationship between estimated remediation and property values in Melbourne is notably favorable - the equity share is small enough that the household financial perspective is one of proportionality rather than pressure, and most homeowners can treat it as routine planning rather than a significant financial event.
Remediation costs in Melbourne are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,100–$3,400 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 42% above the Kentucky average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Melbourne
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.
Routinely in Melbourne, where 71% of housing predates the solder ban and aggregate utility readings hover near the federal threshold, a faucet-level draw functions as a standard household step for families with small kids.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in Melbourne
Historical NFIP data for Melbourne contains 64 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $19,560. 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>$2,100</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 Melbourne, KY