Ridge, NY Home Safety: Home Safety 83/100
1 ZIP code · 2 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Ridge: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
EPA compliance records for Ridge tell a largely clear story: violation rates are low, health-based exceedances are uncommon, and the city's grade puts it well above average within NY.
How Ridge Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Key Facts for Ridge Residents
- Average lead level: 0.0027 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 71% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,800 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 11.13.
Ridge's Water Providers
Water service in Ridge, NY is split across 2 utilities out of 2 tracked federally, each operating its own infrastructure and compliance record.
- B
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Ridge, New York (population ~12,436), covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 1,103,500 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 Ridge: 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
Ridge water systems draw from: Groundwater.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0027 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)
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11961 | B | Suffolk County Water Authority | 1,100,000 |
All ZIP Codes in Ridge
- 11961 [B]
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.
Ridge Community Health Snapshot
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
Ridge Infrastructure Age
With 71% 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
Two dates define the high-risk tiers of residential plumbing from a lead standpoint: 1970, before which lead pipes were commonly installed for service connections, and 1986, before which lead solder was standard in copper plumbing. A median build year of 1971 places Ridge's housing distribution well within that older risk zone. The bar chart above breaks down how much of the stock falls into each era - and the pre-1986 share alone represents more than half the residential inventory, making plumbing-era risk a defining characteristic of the local water safety picture.
Over half of homes in Ridge 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 Ridge
Within the Ridge market, estimated remediation claims a small portion of typical property equity - the financial burden is proportionally low.
Remediation costs in Ridge are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,200–$2,600 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 11% above the New York average.
Ridge: Lead Risk & Vulnerable Populations
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.
Wherever 71% of local housing was built before solder rules changed - as is the case in Ridge - a faucet-level sample closes the gap that aggregate utility data cannot.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Ridge: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context
Historical NFIP data for Ridge contains 9 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $11,746. 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>$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.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Ridge, NY