Kutztown, PA: Lead Above EPA Action Level - Home Safety 63/100
1 ZIP code · 3 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Kutztown: C.
A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.
Documented records place Kutztown, PA in the middle grade tier.
How Kutztown Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Kutztown Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 11 violations since 2021.
- Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: 0.0276 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: 68% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $4,080 per household.
Who Supplies Your Water in Kutztown
Counting every public water system linked to Kutztown, PA in federal data gives 3. The list below keeps the 3 largest by reported population served, a figure that covers each system's whole service area rather than the city alone. A household's own supplier is named on its water bill.
- C
- C
- C
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Kutztown, Pennsylvania (population ~14,896), covering 3 community water systems serving approximately 62,393 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 Kutztown: C (63/100)
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
Kutztown water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: 0.0276 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 1.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groundwater Rule | Treatment Technique | 8 | 1 |
| Nitrate | Inorganic | 6 | 1 |
| Nitrite | Inorganic | 6 | 1 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Microbiological | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19530 | C | 11 | 0 | Kutztown Borough Water |
All ZIP Codes in Kutztown
- 19530 [C] - 11 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 Kutztown Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Housing & Infrastructure in Kutztown
With 68% 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
Plumbing risk in older housing is tied to the period before 1986, when lead pipes and lead solder were still permitted in new plumbing. Kutztown's median build year is 1977, and properties from before that year might still contain lead-bearing joints or pipes. Much of that risk sits inside individual properties, which city-level water quality averages don't capture.
Over half of homes in Kutztown 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 Kutztown Homeowners
Neither the low nor the elevated band applies to Kutztown; its estimated remediation cost sits between those two cutoffs relative to home prices.
Estimated remediation costs in Kutztown can be compared with local home values. The estimated $2,720–$5,440 range is a planning estimate; get a property-specific quote and check it against your budget. Home values are 24% above the Pennsylvania average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Kutztown
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.
A citywide figure cannot tell a family in Kutztown what its own faucet delivers. Here, averaging each ZIP code's 90th-percentile lead value gives more than 15 micrograms per liter, and pre-1986 homes account for 68% of the housing.
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 Kutztown
Historical NFIP data for Kutztown contains 96 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $15,188. 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 $4,080 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 Kutztown
- 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 Groundwater Rule, listed in the water-quality records for Kutztown: 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 68% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Kutztown, PA