Based on current monitoring, Niagara Falls holds an above-average drinking water safety record for NY - violations are infrequent and typically minor when they do appear.

Data: EPA SDWIS

Water Quality Map: Niagara Falls, NY

Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.

A B C D F

Overview

We track home safety data for 5 ZIP codes in Niagara Falls, New York, covering 4 community water systems serving approximately 63,265 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 5 of 5 ZIP codes.

2 of 5 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (40%) have recorded EPA violations. The available record reports no health-based violations for this measured scope.

Home Safety Score

Average Home Safety Score for Niagara Falls: B (83/100)

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

Niagara Falls water systems draw from: Surface water.

Lead & Copper

• Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0059 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
• 0 of 5 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): 5 ZIP codes
• Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes

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

Top Contaminants

Areas with Most Violations

Areas with No Violations

All ZIP Codes in Niagara Falls

• 14301 [B]
• 14302 [B]
• 14303 [B]
• 14304 [B] - 1 violation
• 14305 [B] - 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

Niagara Falls's housing stock is predominantly older, with a median build year of 1933 that reflects decades of construction before federal plumbing standards were tightened. The 1986 ban on lead solder and the pre-1970 era of lead service lines are both relevant benchmarks here - a significant share of the residential inventory predates one or both of those cutoffs, creating an elevated baseline for plumbing-related lead risk that aggregate water quality data may not fully reflect at the household level.

1933

Median Year Built

92%

Pre-1986 (Lead Paint Risk)

58%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (58%) 1970–1986 (34%) Post-1986 (8%)

Over half of homes in Niagara Falls 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.

Niagara Falls: Remediation Cost in Perspective

Homeowners in Niagara Falls are working with a moderate equity share for documented remediation - the commitment deserves a line in the household budget, not dismissal.

Median Home Value

$109,200

Est. Remediation

$1,360

Remediation as % of home value 1.3%

Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Niagara Falls. The estimated $640–$2,240 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 70% below the New York average.

Protecting Children from Lead in Niagara Falls

92%

Homes Built Before 1986

0.0059

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.

92% of Niagara Falls housing dates to the pre-rule era, alongside aggregate readings hovering at the federal action mark - household-level confirmation through a draw-test kit fits the local picture.

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

Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Niagara Falls

103

Total FEMA Flood Claims

$3,621

Avg Reported Sum With Payment Data

75%

A/V Share of Claim-Record ZIPs

Historical NFIP data for Niagara Falls contains 103 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $3,621. 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>$1,360</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.