Salisbury, NC: 2 Health Violations - Home Safety 97/100
4 ZIP codes · 9 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Salisbury: A.
No federal data flags a major home-safety concern for this ZIP.
Across Salisbury, EPA monitoring data shows low violation rates and healthy safety margins - a pattern that places the city well above NC's average for drinking water compliance across recent reporting cycles.
How Salisbury Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Salisbury Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 12 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.01 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 57% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $4,525 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 13.95 - above typical levels.
Who Supplies Your Water in Salisbury
With 3 utilities splitting service in Salisbury, NC, water accountability is distributed across 9 systems on the federal record.
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Overview
We track home safety data for 4 ZIP codes in Salisbury, North Carolina, covering 9 community water systems serving approximately 84,184 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 3 of 4 ZIP codes.
3 of 3 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.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Salisbury: A (97/100)
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
Salisbury water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0100 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 3 (Low Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 4 ZIP codes
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 8 | 1 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 6 | 2 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | Treatment Technique | 6 | 1 |
| Chlorite | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 3 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28146 | A | 9 | 2 | Salisbury-rowan |
| 28147 | A | 5 | 1 | Salisbury-rowan |
| 28144 | A | 1 | 1 | Salisbury-rowan |
All ZIP Codes in Salisbury
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.
Health Outcomes in Salisbury
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
Top Contaminants in Salisbury Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Housing & Infrastructure in Salisbury
With 57% 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
Pre-1986 plumbing is not a rare legacy case in Salisbury - it's the dominant profile. The median build year of 1976 indicates a housing stock where lead-soldered copper joints are a common structural feature of residences across the city.
Over half of homes in Salisbury 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 Salisbury Homeowners
How does remediation fit within the broader financial picture for Salisbury homeowners? The equity share is moderate - large enough that treating it as a real planning consideration makes sense, and manageable enough that most homeowners have a clear path to addressing documented water and safety issues when they approach the commitment with deliberate advance budgeting rather than as an unplanned expense.
Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Salisbury. The estimated $3,000–$6,525 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 3% below the North Carolina average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Salisbury
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.
In recent monitoring under the Lead and Copper Rule, citywide samples for Salisbury have approached or crossed the regulatory action level on multiple occasions. Combined with 57% of stock dating from the pre-rule era, the picture supports baseline single-tap reads as a standard household-level step.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in Salisbury
Historical NFIP data for Salisbury contains 55 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $26,818. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 50% 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>$4,525</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 Salisbury, NC