Buckingham's water safety record falls below average in PA - compliance violations span multiple service areas, and several systems have recorded exceedances that trigger federal notification requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Buckingham, Pennsylvania (population ~250), covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 5,445 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 Buckingham: F (39/100)

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

Buckingham water systems draw from: Groundwater.

Lead & Copper

• Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0000 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 1 (High Risk)

The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.

Top Contaminants

Areas with Most Violations

All ZIP Codes in Buckingham

• 18912 [F] - 34 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.

Housing Age Profile

Two dates define the high-risk tiers of residential plumbing from a lead standpoint: 1970, before which lead pipes were commonly installed for service connections, and 1986, before which lead solder was standard in copper plumbing. A median build year of 1978 places Buckingham's housing distribution well within that older risk zone. The bar chart above breaks down how much of the stock falls into each era - and the pre-1986 share alone represents more than half the residential inventory, making plumbing-era risk a defining characteristic of the local water safety picture.

1978

Median Year Built

100%

Pre-1986 (Lead Paint Risk)

46%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (46%) 1970–1986 (54%) Post-1986 (0%)

Over half of homes in Buckingham 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.

Buckingham: Remediation Cost in Perspective

Within the Buckingham market, estimated remediation claims a small portion of typical property equity - the financial burden is proportionally low.

Median Home Value

$2.0M

Est. Remediation

$3,600

Remediation as % of home value 0.2%

Remediation costs in Buckingham are relatively low compared to home values. The $2,400–$4,800 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 837% above the Pennsylvania average.

Protecting Children from Lead in Buckingham

100%

Homes Built Before 1986

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.

Wherever 100% of local housing was built before solder rules changed - as is the case in Buckingham - a faucet-level sample closes the gap that aggregate utility data cannot.

Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.

Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Buckingham

7

Total FEMA Flood Claims

$28,978

Avg Reported Sum With Payment Data

0%

A/V Share of Claim-Record ZIPs

Historical NFIP data for Buckingham contains 7 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $28,978. 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>$3,600</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.