Gresham, OR: 19 Violations - Home Safety 78/100
2 ZIP codes · 7 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Gresham: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Water utilities in Gresham have maintained a consistent compliance record over recent monitoring periods - the city's above-average grade in OR reflects low violation rates and no systemic health concerns flagged in current data.
How Gresham Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Gresham Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 19 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0049 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 55% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,900 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 10.95.
Water Systems Serving Gresham
In Gresham, OR, residential water supply is distributed across multiple utilities rather than concentrated in one. The 3 leading providers out of 7 tracked systems each control their own infrastructure, file separate EPA compliance reports, and set independent rate schedules.
- B
- B
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 2 ZIP codes in Gresham, Oregon (population ~86,019), covering 7 community water systems serving approximately 828,858 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 2 of 2 ZIP codes.
2 of 2 ZIP codes 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 Gresham: B (78/100)
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
Gresham water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0049 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 2 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 2 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contaminant 3028 | Other | 24 | 2 |
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting | 12 | 2 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 6 | 1 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 2 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 3 | 2 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97080 | B | 16 | 0 | City of Gresham, |
| 97030 | B | 15 | 0 | City of Gresham, |
All ZIP Codes in Gresham
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 Gresham
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 Gresham
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Gresham's Housing Stock?
With 55% 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
For residents trying to assess tap water risk in Gresham, the median build year of 1977 is the starting context. It signals that a majority of homes were constructed before 1986 - the year federal rules prohibited lead solder in new plumbing - and that a significant share likely predates 1970, when lead pipes were still a common choice for residential service connections. Neither risk tier is rare in this housing inventory.
Over half of homes in Gresham 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.
Gresham: Remediation Cost in Perspective
Setting Gresham remediation figures against its property market, the resulting ratio sits comfortably in the low tier - a classification that reflects the kind of household financial position where most homeowners can identify documented issues, schedule the work, and absorb the cost without it registering as a significant budget disruption.
Remediation costs in Gresham are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,000–$2,950 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 20% above the Oregon average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Gresham
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 55% of the Gresham 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 Gresham
Historical NFIP data for Gresham contains 9 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $46,650. 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>$1,900</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 Gresham, OR