Gales Creek, OR: PFAS Found in Water - Home Safety 75/100
1 ZIP code · 2 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Gales Creek: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Gales Creek'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 Gales Creek Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Gales Creek Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 26 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0064 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 67% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,600 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 10.99.
Water Systems Serving Gales Creek
Federal records list 2 water systems tied to Gales Creek, OR. Of those, 2 are the primary providers, meaning service conditions, rate structures, and compliance histories can differ depending on where a property sits.
- B
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Gales Creek, Oregon (population ~787), covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 28,466 people region-wide. 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 Gales Creek: B (75/100)
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
Gales Creek water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0064 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 2 (Moderate Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| E. coli | Microbiological | 4 | 1 |
| Lead | Inorganic | 2 | 1 |
| PFOA | PFAS | 2 | 1 |
| PFNA | PFAS | 2 | 1 |
| Monochloroacetic Acid | Disinfection Byproducts | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97117 | B | 26 | 0 | Hillsboro-cherry Grove |
All ZIP Codes in Gales Creek
- 97117 [B] - 26 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.
CDC Health Data for Gales Creek
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
Key Contaminants Detected in Gales Creek
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Gales Creek's Housing Stock?
With 67% 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
The median home in Gales Creek was built in 1976 - a figure that places most of the city's residential stock in the era when lead solder was still standard in copper plumbing. Homes built before 1986 may have lead-soldered joints; those built before 1970 face the additional possibility of lead pipes in the service line itself.
Over half of homes in Gales Creek 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.
Gales Creek: Remediation Cost in Perspective
Given current Gales Creek valuations, the remediation-to-property-value ratio is low - most homeowners are looking at a proportionally modest share that fits within routine financial planning.
Remediation costs in Gales Creek are relatively low compared to home values. The $800–$2,600 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 49% above the Oregon average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Gales Creek
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.
In recent monitoring under the Lead and Copper Rule, citywide samples for Gales Creek have approached or crossed the regulatory action level on multiple occasions. Combined with 67% of stock dating from the pre-rule era, the picture supports baseline single-tap reads as a standard household-level step.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Gales Creek
Historical NFIP data for Gales Creek contains 1 flood insurance claim. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $8,267. 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>$1,600</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 Gales Creek, OR