Water monitoring across Somerville paints a mid-range picture within MA - solid compliance in some service zones, documented concerns in others. Most violations on record are concentrated in specific areas, and the overall grade has held in the middle tier without major shifts in recent monitoring cycles.

Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 3 ZIP codes in Somerville, Massachusetts (population ~78,099), covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 142,745 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 3 of 3 ZIP codes.

1 of 3 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (33%) have recorded EPA violations. 2 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.

Home Safety Score

Average Home Safety Score for Somerville: C (66/100)

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

Somerville water systems draw from: Surface water.

Lead & Copper

• Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0054 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
• 0 of 3 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level

Radon Risk

Dominant radon zone: Zone 1 (High Risk)

• Zone 1 (High): 3 ZIP codes
• Zone 2 (Moderate): 0 ZIP codes
• Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes

The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.

Top Contaminants

Areas with Most Violations

Areas with No Violations

All ZIP Codes in Somerville

• 02143 [C]
• 02144 [C]
• 02145 [C] - 2 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.

Housing Age Profile

Somerville's housing stock is predominantly older, with a median build year of 1901 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.

1901

Median Year Built

86%

Pre-1986 (Lead Paint Risk)

70%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (70%) 1970–1986 (16%) Post-1986 (14%)

Over half of homes in Somerville 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.

How Remediation Costs Compare in Somerville

Placing remediation in the context of Somerville's property market, the equity share is low - most homeowners here are weighing a financial commitment that fits comfortably within routine property planning, far from the threshold where remediation becomes a material equity decision rather than a standard upkeep consideration.

Median Home Value

$930,200

Est. Remediation

$2,600

Remediation as % of home value 0.3%

Remediation costs in Somerville are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,733–$3,533 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 65% above the Massachusetts average.

Somerville: Lead Risk & Vulnerable Populations

86%

Homes Built Before 1986

0.0054

mg/L Avg Lead (Limit: 0.015)

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.

86% of Somerville housing dates to the pre-rule era, alongside aggregate readings hovering at the federal action mark - household-level confirmation through a draw-test kit fits the local picture.

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

Somerville: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context

33

Total FEMA Flood Claims

$30,643

Avg Reported Sum With Payment Data

33%

A/V Share of Claim-Record ZIPs

Historical NFIP data for Somerville contains 33 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $30,643. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 33% 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>$2,600</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.