Cottage Grove, OR: 38 Violations - Home Safety 97/100
1 ZIP code · 3 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Cottage Grove: A.
No federal data flags a major home-safety concern for this ZIP.
Cottage Grove's tap water quality puts it in OR's upper tier - health-based violations are rare and the compliance record is consistently above average.
How Cottage Grove Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Cottage Grove Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 38 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.008 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 64% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,500 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 12.89 - above typical levels.
Who Supplies Your Water in Cottage Grove
Federal records list 3 water systems tied to Cottage Grove, OR. Of those, 3 are the primary providers, meaning service conditions, rate structures, and compliance histories can differ depending on where a property sits.
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Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Cottage Grove, Oregon, covering 3 community water systems serving approximately 18,881 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 1 of 1 ZIP codes.
1 of 1 ZIP code with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (100%) have recorded EPA violations. The available record reports no health-based violations for this measured scope.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Cottage Grove: A (97/100)
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
Cottage Grove water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0080 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)
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| E. coli | Microbiological | 6 | 1 |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 4 | 1 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 4 | 1 |
| Contaminant 2005 | Other | 2 | 1 |
| Contaminant 2010 | Other | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97424 | A | 38 | 0 | City of Cottage Grove, |
All ZIP Codes in Cottage Grove
- 97424 [A] - 38 violations
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.
Health Outcomes in Cottage Grove
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
Top Contaminants in Cottage Grove Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Housing & Infrastructure in Cottage Grove
With 64% 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
Plumbing risk in older housing is defined by two eras: the pre-1970 period when lead pipes were commonly used for service lines, and the 1970-to-1986 period when lead solder remained standard in copper plumbing until the federal ban. Cottage Grove's median build year of 1974 lands in a range where both eras are heavily represented in the housing stock. That creates an elevated aggregate environment for plumbing-related lead exposure - one that city-level water quality averages don't capture, because the risk sits inside individual properties rather than in the distribution system.
Over half of homes in Cottage Grove 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.
Cost Context: What Remediation Means for Cottage Grove Homeowners
Across Cottage Grove, the equity share taken up by estimated remediation is small - a favorable ratio for most property owners.
Remediation costs in Cottage Grove are relatively low compared to home values. The $950–$2,400 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 14% below the Oregon average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Cottage Grove
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.
64% - that captures the slice of Cottage Grove housing dating from before the federal ban on solder containing lead. It pairs with aggregate utility readings that either approach or cross 0.015 mg/L, the benchmark set under the EPA Lead and Copper Rule. Together, the two figures shift one-home reads into a standard household-level confirmation, particularly for families with kids. A certified lead-removal filter is available through retailer-verified channels if a kit returns results that warrant additional measures.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in Cottage Grove
Historical NFIP data for Cottage Grove contains 37 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $10,129. 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>$1,500</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.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Cottage Grove, OR