Lebanon, PA: Lead Above EPA Limits - Home Safety 48/100
2 ZIP codes · 6 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Lebanon: D.
Several federal signals point to home-safety risks in this ZIP.
Your top priority: see the breakdown below and consider a certified water filter. NSF certified filters →
Public water compliance in Lebanon falls below the PA baseline - elevated violation rates are on record.
How Lebanon Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Lebanon Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 42 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.1033 mg/L - exceeds the EPA action level of 0.015 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 75% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $3,000 per household.
Who Supplies Your Water in Lebanon
Federal drinking water records identify 6 systems in Lebanon, PA. The leading 3 providers serve the largest share of residential connections, each operating as a separate entity with its own rate authority, infrastructure management, and EPA compliance obligations - so service conditions are not uniform city-wide.
- 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 lead level (90th percentile): 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
Dominant radon zone: Zone 1 (High Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 2 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contaminant 0700 | Other | 34 | 2 |
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting | 24 | 2 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 10 | 2 |
| Chlorite | Disinfection Byproducts | 9 | 2 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | 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. 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
Lebanon's housing stock is predominantly older, with a median build year of 1967 that reflects decades of construction before federal plumbing standards were tightened. The 1986 ban on lead solder and the pre-1970 era of lead service lines are both relevant benchmarks here - a significant share of the residential inventory predates one or both of those cutoffs, creating an elevated baseline for plumbing-related lead risk that aggregate water quality data may not fully reflect at the household level.
Over half of homes in Lebanon 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.
Cost Context: What Remediation Means for Lebanon Homeowners
Across the Lebanon housing market, the estimated remediation share lands in a middle tier - not a minor footnote, but not a prohibitive burden either; the cost-to-value ratio reflects a moderate equity commitment, one that sits above routine maintenance territory and warrants a dedicated line in the household budget.
Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Lebanon. The estimated $1,950–$4,300 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 4% above the Pennsylvania average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Lebanon
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.
Throughout the multi-year monitoring window under Lead and Copper Rule sampling, citywide samples for Lebanon have moved past the regulatory action mark, and 75% of local stock comes from the pre-rule era. Both the housing inventory and the system data support active household-level reads as a practical step.
<strong>1 ZIP code</strong> (50% of the city) exceeds the EPA lead 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 <strong>$3,000</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 Lebanon
- Test your water at home. City-level data shows averages - your tap may differ. Lead testing is especially recommended given the area's lead levels.
- Install a certified water filter. Filters rated for Contaminant 0700 can reduce the most common contaminant found in Lebanon's water.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 75% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
- Review your water system's CCR. Your utility publishes an annual Consumer Confidence Report with detailed test results. Request it or find it online.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Lebanon, PA