Shelter Island, NY Home Safety: Home Safety 83/100
1 ZIP code · 1 water system · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Shelter Island: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Shelter Island tap water earns a high safety grade - above-average compliance with NY and federal standards.
How Shelter Island Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Shelter Island Water: The Quick Version
- Average lead level: 0.0013 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 69% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,800 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 11.13.
Water Systems Serving Shelter Island
Federal drinking water records identify 1 system operating in Shelter Island, NY. One of those systems serves the overwhelming majority of residential addresses, concentrating infrastructure management, rate authority, and EPA compliance reporting within a single organization.
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Shelter Island, New York, covering 1 community water system serving approximately 2,858 people. 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 Shelter Island: 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
Shelter Island water systems draw from: Groundwater.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0013 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11964 | B | West Neck Water District | 100 |
All ZIP Codes in Shelter Island
- 11964 [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.
CDC Health Data for Shelter Island
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
How Old Is Shelter Island's Housing Stock?
With 69% 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
Because the majority of Shelter Island's housing predates 1986, when lead solder was banned from new plumbing, the median build year of 1976 reflects a city where lead-era plumbing materials are common rather than exceptional.
Over half of homes in Shelter Island 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.
Shelter Island: Remediation Cost in Perspective
While no remediation project is entirely without cost, the relationship between estimated remediation and property values in Shelter Island is notably favorable - the equity share is small enough that the household financial perspective is one of proportionality rather than pressure, and most homeowners can treat it as routine planning rather than a significant financial event.
Remediation costs in Shelter Island 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 176% above the New York average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Shelter Island
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.
Even where utility-side monitoring meets Lead and Copper Rule requirements, the 69% pre-rule share in Shelter Island keeps interior-plumbing variation as a household-level question that aggregate data cannot resolve.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Shelter Island
Historical NFIP data for Shelter Island contains 80 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $26,851. 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 Shelter Island, NY