Tower City, ND: High Radon Risk - Home Safety 67/100
1 ZIP code · 1 water system · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Tower City: C.
A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.
Safe water is the norm across most of Tower City, ND - but documented violations push the city to the middle safety tier.
How Tower City Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Tower City Water
- Homes built before 1986: 76% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,200 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 10.43.
Who Supplies Your Water in Tower City
Most residential addresses in Tower City, ND are served by a single water utility - the dominant system among the 1 provider tracked in federal data.
- C
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Tower City, North Dakota (population ~482), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 4,938 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 Tower City: C (67/100)
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
Tower City water systems draw from: Groundwater.
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 1 (High 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 58071 | C | Barnes Rural Water District | 4,938 |
All ZIP Codes in Tower City
- 58071 [C]
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 Tower City
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
Housing & Infrastructure in Tower City
With 76% 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
Viewed through the lens of construction era, Tower City is predominantly an older city - a median build year of 1978 puts most of the residential inventory in the range where pre-1986 plumbing materials were the standard.
Over half of homes in Tower City 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 Tower City Homeowners
When estimated remediation is placed alongside median property values in Tower City, the resulting ratio is low - a finding consistent with a household financial perspective where documented issues can be addressed without a meaningful impact on overall equity position, making this market one of the more favorable contexts for remediation planning.
Remediation costs in Tower City are relatively low compared to home values. The $800–$1,500 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 10% above the North Dakota average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Tower City
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.
Practically, the structural drivers in Tower City - 76% pre-rule stock and citywide monitoring at or beyond the regulatory benchmark - make an in-home draw the practical way to translate aggregate averages into the specific conditions at one address.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
What You Can Do in Tower City
- Test your water at home. City-level data shows averages - your tap may differ. NSF-certified test kits cost $20-40 and give results in days.
- Install a certified water filter. An NSF-certified pitcher or under-sink filter removes most common contaminants.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 76% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Tower City, ND