Chapel Hill, NC - Home Safety Score unavailable
5 ZIP codes · 10 water systems · Updated
Data: EPA SDWIS
Chapel Hill Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 28 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0005 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 39% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $3,740 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 10.52.
Water Systems Serving Chapel Hill
Throughout Chapel Hill, NC, water comes from one of 3 primary utilities out of 10 total systems - independent providers with different rate structures, infrastructure, and compliance records that vary across the service territory.
Overview
We track home safety data for 5 ZIP codes in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (population ~107,660), covering 10 community water systems serving approximately 458,931 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. 2 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.
Water Sources
Chapel Hill water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0005 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 3 (Low Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 5 ZIP codes
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 2 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 10 | 2 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 9 | 4 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | Treatment Technique | 8 | 1 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 7 | 3 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 5 | 3 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27516 | — | 19 | 2 | Orange Water & Sewer Authority |
| 27517 | — | 8 | 1 | Orange Water & Sewer Authority |
| 27514 | — | 6 | 0 | Orange Water & Sewer Authority |
| 27599 | — | 1 | 0 | Orange Water & Sewer Authority |
All ZIP Codes in Chapel Hill
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 Chapel Hill
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 Chapel Hill
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Chapel Hill's Housing Stock?
Housing age data helps assess potential lead pipe and infrastructure risks. Newer housing stock generally means lower plumbing-related contamination risk.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
Because Chapel Hill's housing stock spans a wide range of construction eras, the median build year of 1990 lands in a zone where two distinct risk populations share the same residential market. Homes built before 1986 may have lead-soldered copper plumbing joints - that practice was federally prohibited in 1986 but remained standard until then. The fraction built before 1970 face an additional risk: lead pipes used for service line connections were common before that decade, meaning both the pipe and the solder may be lead-containing in the oldest structures. Residents in mid-century or earlier homes face a different risk environment than neighbors in houses built after 1986, even if they drink from the same utility's supply - and that property-level divergence is what makes the age distribution above more diagnostic than the city-wide median alone.
Most homes in Chapel Hill were built after 1986, reducing the risk of lead contamination from plumbing. Older homes should still be tested.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
Chapel Hill: Remediation Cost in Perspective
In Chapel Hill, 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 Chapel Hill are relatively low compared to home values. The $2,420–$5,800 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 143% above the North Carolina average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Chapel Hill
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.
Confirming what arrives at a specific faucet is something utility-side averages cannot do. With 39% of Chapel Hill stock built before the lead-solder ban and citywide monitoring at or beyond the regulatory mark, a tap-level kit fits the standard diligence picture.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Chapel Hill
Historical NFIP data for Chapel Hill contains 509 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $78,346. 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>$3,740</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 Chapel Hill, NC