Lebanon, PA: Lead Above EPA Action Level - Home Safety 48/100
2 ZIP codes · 6 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Lebanon: D.
Federal records show several conditions worth reviewing.
Your top priority: see the breakdown below and consider a certified water filter. NSF certified filters →
Low marks: Lebanon, PA sits below the midpoint of the ZipCheckup grade scale.
How Lebanon Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Lebanon Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 42 violations since 2021.
- Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: 0.1033 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: 75% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $2,650 per household.
Who Supplies Your Water in Lebanon
When a city is linked to 6 water systems, as Lebanon, PA is in federal records, water in one neighborhood may come from a different system than in another. The 3 systems with the largest reported populations are shown below, and their compliance records are kept separately, so a violation logged for one does not describe the others.
- C
- F
- F
Overview
We track home safety data for 2 ZIP codes in Lebanon, Pennsylvania (population ~71,327), covering 6 community water systems serving approximately 113,423 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 2 of 2 ZIP codes.
2 of 2 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (100%) have recorded EPA violations. 2 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Lebanon: D (48/100)
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
Lebanon water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: 0.1033 mg/L (exceeds EPA action level) (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 1 of 2 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
2 of 2 ZIP records with known zones are 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 | 34 | 2 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Microbiological | 24 | 2 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 10 | 2 |
| Total organic carbon | Disinfection Byproducts | 9 | 2 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 7 | 2 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17042 | F | 38 | 2 | Lebanon Water Authority |
| 17046 | C | 21 | 2 | Lebanon Water Authority |
All ZIP Codes in Lebanon
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 Lebanon Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Housing & Infrastructure in Lebanon
With 75% 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
Viewed through the lens of construction era, Lebanon has a median build year of 1967; houses completed ahead of 1986 can hold lead-bearing solder or fittings.
Over half of homes in Lebanon 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 Lebanon Homeowners
Home prices in Lebanon and the estimated cost of addressing flagged issues produce a ratio in the 1-2% band; that places the city between the low and elevated tiers, and because both inputs are area estimates, the actual cost for a given home may be higher or lower.
Estimated remediation costs in Lebanon can be compared with local home values. The estimated $1,700–$3,800 range is a planning estimate; get a property-specific quote and check it against your budget. Home values are 4% above the Pennsylvania average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Lebanon
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.
Water systems report 90th-percentile lead results; averaged across Lebanon ZIP codes, they come to more than 15 ppb, and 75% of homes predate 1986.
1 ZIP code (50% 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 Lebanon
Historical NFIP data for Lebanon contains 562 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $10,751. 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 $2,650 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 Lebanon
- 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 Lebanon: 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 75% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
- Review your water system's CCR. If you use a community water system, request its annual Consumer Confidence Report for system-level test results or find it online.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Lebanon, PA