Ebensburg, PA: Lead Above EPA Action Level - Home Safety 67/100
1 ZIP code · 5 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Ebensburg: C.
A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.
Your top priority: match a filter's certification to the violations (17 health-based violations). NSF certified filters →
Neither high nor low, the composite grade for Ebensburg, PA is a C, built from ZIP-level scores.
How Ebensburg Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Ebensburg Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 86 violations since 2021.
- Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: 0.017 mg/L. The EPA action level of 0.015 mg/L applies to each water system's own 90th percentile, not to this average.
- Homes built before 1986: 76% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $5,660 per household.
Who Supplies Your Water in Ebensburg
Federal records list 5 water systems tied to Ebensburg, PA. Of those, 3 are the primary providers, meaning service conditions, rate structures, and compliance histories can differ depending on where a property sits.
- C
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Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania (population ~8,852), covering 5 community water systems serving approximately 16,624 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. 17 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Ebensburg: 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
Ebensburg water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: 0.0170 mg/L (exceeds EPA action level) (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 1 of 1 ZIP code with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
1 of 1 ZIP records with known zones is in EPA Radon Zone 2.
The EPA recommends testing all homes regardless of radon zone. County radon zones cannot replace an in-home radon test.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 36 | 1 |
| Public Notice Rule | Reporting | 26 | 1 |
| Groundwater Rule | Treatment Technique | 26 | 1 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | Reporting | 8 | 1 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 8 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15931 | C | 86 | 17 | Ebensburg Boro Muni Authority |
All ZIP Codes in Ebensburg
- 15931 [C] - 86 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.
Top Contaminants in Ebensburg Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Housing & Infrastructure in Ebensburg
With 76% of homes built before 1986, lead solder in plumbing is a potential concern. Federal law banned lead solder in drinking-water plumbing in 1986, but many older homes retain original plumbing.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
Ask the water utility whether your address in Ebensburg has a lead service line; its inventory can answer what a median build year of 1978 cannot.
Over half of homes in Ebensburg were built before 1986, when federal law began restricting lead solder in drinking-water plumbing. 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 Ebensburg Homeowners
Compared with local property values, the estimated repair bill in Ebensburg is large enough to clear the 2% cutoff that separates the elevated band from the moderate one.
Estimated remediation costs in Ebensburg equal about 3.2% of the median home value; how much that burdens a household depends on its finances. For homes valued near the median, fixing water and safety issues could cost $3,640–$8,380. Home values here are 17% below the Pennsylvania average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Ebensburg
Why children are most at risk: The CDC states that no safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Children under 6 absorb lead more readily than adults, and even low levels can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.
How much lead reaches a given Ebensburg faucet depends on that building's service line and plumbing, and area data cannot settle it. What the data do show is an average of 90th-percentile lead results above 0.015 mg/L across the city's ZIP codes and a housing stock that is 76% pre-1986. The utility's lead service line inventory and a certified laboratory tap test are direct checks for a household.
1 ZIP code (100% of the city's ZIP records) is served by a water system whose 90th-percentile lead result exceeds the EPA action level of 0.015 mg/L.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in Ebensburg
Historical NFIP data for Ebensburg contains 3 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $27,541. 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 $5,660 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 Ebensburg
- Test your water at home. City-level data shows averages - your tap may differ. Consider testing your home's tap water for lead, since household plumbing can affect its level.
- Install a certified water filter. For Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), listed in the water-quality records for Ebensburg: if it is a rule or reporting requirement rather than a contaminant, ask your utility what the record involved; for bacteria, follow any boil-water notice from your utility; for a specific chemical contaminant, check whether a filter is certified to reduce it. Not every contaminant has a consumer filter certification.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 76% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Ebensburg, PA