Drilling into federal monitoring figures for Elizabeth in NJ, the pattern is middle-of-the-road - some utilities have documented MCL exceedances or treatment technique violations in recent years, while others have operated without a single flag, making the city's grade a genuine average rather than a rounded-down high.

Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 4 ZIP codes in Elizabeth, New Jersey, covering 1 community water system serving approximately 104,767 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 3 of 4 ZIP codes.

The available EPA record reports 0 violations for 3 ZIP codes with a reported violation count.

Home Safety Score

Average Home Safety Score for Elizabeth: 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

Elizabeth water systems draw from: Surface water.

Lead & Copper

• Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0020 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 2 (Moderate Risk)

• Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
• Zone 2 (Moderate): 4 ZIP codes
• Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes

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

Areas with No Violations

All ZIP Codes in Elizabeth

• 07201 [C]
• 07202 [C]
• 07207
• 07208 [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.

Housing Age Profile

What does a median build year of 1954 mean for water safety in Elizabeth? It means the majority of the city's residential plumbing was installed before 1986, when lead solder was federally banned, and a large share may predate 1970, when lead pipes were commonly used - making plumbing age a central variable in household-level lead risk across much of the city.

1954

Median Year Built

81%

Pre-1986 (Lead Paint Risk)

56%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (56%) 1970–1986 (25%) Post-1986 (19%)

Over half of homes in Elizabeth 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 Elizabeth

When estimated remediation is placed alongside median property values in Elizabeth, 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.

Median Home Value

$413,000

Est. Remediation

$2,500

Remediation as % of home value 0.6%

Remediation costs in Elizabeth are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,400–$3,750 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 15% below the New Jersey average.

Elizabeth: Lead Risk & Vulnerable Populations

81%

Homes Built Before 1986

0.002

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.

Before the federal solder ban, lead solder was a routine plumbing material, and 81% of the Elizabeth inventory was built in that earlier era - a share large enough to move household-level reads onto the standard list.

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

Elizabeth: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context

284

Total FEMA Flood Claims

$25,317

Avg Reported Sum With Payment Data

0%

A/V Share of Claim-Record ZIPs

Historical NFIP data for Elizabeth contains 284 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $25,317. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 0% 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>$2,500</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.