New Florence's water safety record falls below average in PA - compliance violations span multiple service areas, and several systems have recorded exceedances that trigger federal notification requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in New Florence, Pennsylvania (population ~3,198), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 16,000 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 New Florence: D (46/100)

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

New Florence water systems draw from: Surface water.

Lead & Copper

• Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0064 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.

Top Contaminants

Areas with Most Violations

All ZIP Codes in New Florence

• 15944 [D] - 13 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.

Housing Age Profile

When a city's housing median build year is 1961, as in New Florence, the implication for water quality research is straightforward: municipal-level data captures what leaves the treatment plant, but household plumbing from before 1986 determines what actually arrives at the tap. In cities where older housing predominates, that gap between system-level and household-level data is widest.

1961

Median Year Built

78%

Pre-1986 (Lead Paint Risk)

39%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (39%) 1970–1986 (39%) Post-1986 (22%)

Over half of homes in New Florence 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 New Florence Homeowners

Across the New Florence housing market, the estimated remediation share sits at an elevated level - the cost-to-value ratio here is high enough that addressing documented water and safety issues becomes a material equity decision rather than routine maintenance, and most homeowners benefit from treating it as a structured financial planning exercise.

Median Home Value

$160,200

Est. Remediation

$3,600

Remediation as % of home value 2.3%

At 2.3% of home value, remediation costs in New Florence represent a significant financial burden. For homes valued near the median, fixing water and safety issues could cost $2,400–$4,800. Home values here are 25% below the Pennsylvania average.

Lead Exposure Risk for Children in New Florence

78%

Homes Built Before 1986

0.0064

mg/L Avg Lead (Limit: 0.015)

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.

When older housing represents 78% of the local inventory or aggregate readings approach the federal action level, an in-home check becomes the standard way to translate citywide averages into the specific reality of an individual New Florence address.

Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.

Historical NFIP Claim Context in New Florence

1

Total FEMA Flood Claims

Historical NFIP data for New Florence contains 1 flood insurance claim.

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>$3,600</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.