Prineville, OR: PFAS Found in Water - Home Safety 67/100
1 ZIP code · 4 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Prineville: C.
A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.
Prineville water quality is uneven - some service areas show clean compliance; others carry documented violations in OR EPA records.
How Prineville Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Prineville Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 84 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0028 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 46% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,900 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 14.01 - above typical levels.
Water Systems Serving Prineville
Federal records list 4 water systems tied to Prineville, OR. Of those, 3 are the primary providers, meaning service conditions, rate structures, and compliance histories can differ depending on where a property sits.
- C
- C
- C
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Prineville, Oregon, covering 4 community water systems serving approximately 22,469 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. 1 health-based violation appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Prineville: C (67/100)
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
Prineville water systems draw from: Groundwater.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0028 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contaminant 3028 | Other | 34 | 1 |
| Total Coliform | Microbiological | 10 | 1 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 6 | 1 |
| Lead | Inorganic | 4 | 1 |
| Gross Alpha | Radionuclides | 4 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97754 | C | 84 | 1 | City of Prineville, |
All ZIP Codes in Prineville
- 97754 [C] - 84 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 Prineville
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 Prineville
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Prineville's Housing Stock?
With 46% 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 Prineville's housing stock spans a wide range of construction eras, the median build year of 1998 lands in a zone where two distinct risk populations share the same residential market. Homes built before 1986 may have lead-soldered copper plumbing joints - that practice was federally prohibited in 1986 but remained standard until then. The fraction built before 1970 face an additional risk: lead pipes used for service line connections were common before that decade, meaning both the pipe and the solder may be lead-containing in the oldest structures. Residents in mid-century or earlier homes face a different risk environment than neighbors in houses built after 1986, even if they drink from the same utility's supply - and that property-level divergence is what makes the age distribution above more diagnostic than the city-wide median alone.
Most homes in Prineville were built after 1986, reducing the risk of lead contamination from plumbing. Older homes should still be tested.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
Prineville: Remediation Cost in Perspective
While no remediation project is entirely without cost, the relationship between estimated remediation and property values in Prineville 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 Prineville are relatively low compared to home values. The $950–$3,200 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 2% below the Oregon average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Prineville
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.
Older interior plumbing shapes the local picture: 46% of Prineville homes predate the federal solder ban, and aggregate sampling either approaches or crosses the action benchmark. That mix makes a single-home draw a standard pre-purchase or pre-occupancy step.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Prineville
Historical NFIP data for Prineville contains 67 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $9,505. 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.
What You Can Do in Prineville
- Test your water at home. City-level data shows averages - your tap may differ. NSF-certified test kits cost $20-40 and give results in days.
- Install a certified water filter. Filters rated for Contaminant 3028 can reduce the most common contaminant found in Prineville's water.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 46% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Prineville, OR