In recent monitoring cycles, Poughkeepsie tap water shows a mixed record for NY - several systems have documented violations alongside areas with clean compliance histories.

Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 4 ZIP codes in Poughkeepsie, New York, covering 7 community water systems serving approximately 88,327 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 3 of 4 ZIP codes.

2 of 3 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (67%) have recorded EPA violations. The available record reports no health-based violations for this measured scope.

Home Safety Score

Average Home Safety Score for Poughkeepsie: C (56/100)

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

Poughkeepsie water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.

Lead & Copper

• Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0042 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 1 (High Risk)

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

• 12601 [C] - 15 violations
• 12602
• 12603 [D] - 4 violations
• 12604

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

Reading the housing age data for Poughkeepsie - median build year 1963 - the overriding implication is that the plumbing materials inside a typical home here reflect pre-1986 construction standards. In practical terms, that means lead-soldered copper joints are common across much of the housing stock. Where those materials are present, water can leach lead as it moves through joints - a pathway that corrosion control treatment under federal rules is designed to reduce, though it cannot eliminate lead risk where the plumbing materials themselves contain lead.

1963

Median Year Built

87%

Pre-1986 (Lead Paint Risk)

30%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (30%) 1970–1986 (57%) Post-1986 (13%)

Over half of homes in Poughkeepsie 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.

Poughkeepsie: Remediation Cost in Perspective

Low proportionality - that's the Poughkeepsie picture when remediation costs are placed against typical home equity.

Median Home Value

$342,000

Est. Remediation

$1,950

Remediation as % of home value 0.6%

Remediation costs in Poughkeepsie are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,300–$2,600 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 6% below the New York average.

Protecting Children from Lead in Poughkeepsie

87%

Homes Built Before 1986

0.0042

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 87% of the Poughkeepsie 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.

Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Poughkeepsie

140

Total FEMA Flood Claims

$17,815

Avg Reported Sum With Payment Data

100%

A/V Share of Claim-Record ZIPs

Historical NFIP data for Poughkeepsie contains 140 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $17,815. 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>$1,950</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.