Throughout Spencer and across its water systems, EPA compliance data for NC shows above-average performance - violations are minimal, none of the tracked systems have recorded repeated MCL exceedances in recent cycles, and the safety picture has held steady across multiple reporting periods.

Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Spencer, North Carolina (population ~3,181), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 46,156 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 1 of 1 ZIP codes.

1 of 1 ZIP code with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (100%) have recorded EPA violations. 1 health-based violation appear in the available health breakdown.

Home Safety Score

Average Home Safety Score for Spencer: A (99/100)

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

Spencer 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 3 (Low Risk)

Top Contaminants

Areas with Most Violations

All ZIP Codes in Spencer

• 28159 [A] - 1 violation ⚠

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

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. Spencer's median build year of 1952 places it squarely in that category.

1952

Median Year Built

77%

Pre-1986 (Lead Paint Risk)

53%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (53%) 1970–1986 (24%) Post-1986 (23%)

Over half of homes in Spencer 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.

Spencer: Remediation Cost in Perspective

Property equity in Spencer sits at a moderate ratio to estimated remediation costs - a classification that reframes the household financial perspective from routine maintenance to deliberate budgeting, where most homeowners have a realistic path to addressing documented water and safety issues if they map the financial commitment against available resources before committing to scope.

Median Home Value

$160,300

Est. Remediation

$1,800

Remediation as % of home value 1.1%

Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Spencer. The estimated $1,200–$2,500 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 32% below the North Carolina average.

Protecting Children from Lead in Spencer

77%

Homes Built Before 1986

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.

Even where utility-side monitoring meets Lead and Copper Rule requirements, the 77% pre-rule share in Spencer keeps interior-plumbing variation as a household-level question that aggregate data cannot resolve.

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

Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Spencer

2

Total FEMA Flood Claims

100%

A/V Share of Claim-Record ZIPs

Historical NFIP data for Spencer contains 2 flood insurance claims. 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>$1,800</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.