Great Bend, PA: High Radon Risk - Home Safety 67/100
1 ZIP code · 1 water system · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Great Bend: C.
A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.
If you're checking Great Bend, PA tap water safety, the short answer is: average - violations are present in parts of the city and specifics depend on which water system serves your address.
How Great Bend Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Key Facts for Great Bend Residents
- Homes built before 1986: 77% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $3,700 per household.
Great Bend's Water Providers
The structure of water supply in Great Bend, PA is straightforward: one utility provides the bulk of residential service among 1 tracked system, concentrating rate-setting and infrastructure decisions under a single organization.
- C
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Great Bend, Pennsylvania (population ~1,046), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 4,230 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 1 of 1 ZIP codes.
The available EPA record reports 0 violations for 1 ZIP code with a reported violation count.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Great Bend: 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
Great Bend water systems draw from: Surface water.
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.
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18821 | C | Pa Amer Water Company Susquehanna | 4,230 |
All ZIP Codes in Great Bend
- 18821 [C]
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.
Great Bend Infrastructure Age
With 77% 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
Lead solder was standard in copper plumbing until federally banned in 1986; lead pipes were common in service lines pre-1970. Great Bend's median build year of 1963 reflects a housing stock where these older materials are a pervasive feature - not a rare legacy - of the residential plumbing landscape.
Over half of homes in Great Bend 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.
How Remediation Costs Compare in Great Bend
Given that Great Bend falls in the elevated cost-to-value tier, the equity impact of documented remediation is a real financial planning challenge for most homeowners.
At 2.3% of home value, remediation costs in Great Bend represent a significant financial burden. For homes valued near the median, fixing water and safety issues could cost $2,600–$5,500. Home values here are 23% below the Pennsylvania average.
Great Bend: Lead Risk & Vulnerable Populations
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.
Even where utility-side monitoring meets Lead and Copper Rule requirements, the 77% pre-rule share in Great Bend keeps interior-plumbing variation as a household-level question that aggregate data cannot resolve.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Great Bend: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context
Historical NFIP data for Great Bend contains 45 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $51,561. 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>$3,700</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 Great Bend
- 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. An NSF-certified pitcher or under-sink filter removes most common contaminants.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 77% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Great Bend, PA