New Hope, PA: 13 Violations — 36/100 (2026)
1 ZIP code · 11 water systems · Updated 2026-06-04
If you're researching New Hope, PA tap water quality, the baseline finding is below average — health-based violations are documented in several service areas, and verifying the specific system at your address is the right next step.
How New Hope Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-06-04
New Hope Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 13 violations in the past 5 years.
- Homes built before 1986: 51% — older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $3,600 per household.
Water Systems Serving New Hope
Federal records list 11 water systems tied to New Hope, PA. Of those, 3 are the primary providers, meaning service conditions, rate structures, and compliance histories can differ depending on where a property sits.
Overview
We track water quality and home safety data for 1 ZIP code in New Hope, Pennsylvania, covering 11 community water systems serving approximately 13,192 people.
1 of 1 ZIP code (100%) have recorded EPA violations. All violations are monitoring/reporting type.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for New Hope: F (36/100)
The score combines three factors:
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | EPA violations and compliance history |
| Lead Levels | 90th percentile lead concentration vs EPA action level |
| Radon Risk | EPA radon zone classification |
Water Sources
New Hope water systems draw from: Groundwater.
Lead & Copper
- Lead data: not yet available for New Hope
- 0 ZIP codes 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
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contaminant 0700 | Other | 12 | 1 |
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting | 8 | 1 |
| Copper | Inorganic | 2 | 1 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 2 | 1 |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18938 | F | 13 | 0 | Village of Buckingham Springs |
All ZIP Codes in New Hope
- 18938 [F] — 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
Updated daily.
Key Contaminants Detected in New Hope
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is New Hope's Housing Stock?
With 51% 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
Pre-1986 plumbing is not a rare legacy case in New Hope — it's the dominant profile. The median build year of 1985 indicates a housing stock where lead-soldered copper joints are a common structural feature of residences across the city.
Over half of homes in New Hope 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.
New Hope: Remediation Cost in Perspective
In New Hope, the equity impact of remediation is proportionally small — not the kind of financial commitment that rises to the level of a genuine planning constraint, but a minor share of what most properties here are worth.
Remediation costs in New Hope are relatively low compared to home values. The $2,400–$4,800 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 229% above the Pennsylvania average.
Protecting Children from Lead in New Hope
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.
Older interior plumbing shapes the local picture: 51% of New Hope homes predate the federal solder ban, and aggregate sampling either approaches or crosses the action benchmark. That mix makes a single-home draw a standard pre-purchase or pre-occupancy step.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Climate-Related Water Risk for New Hope
New Hope's flood profile — 532 NFIP claims over the program's multi-decade period and 100% of ZIP codes within FEMA-designated flood zones — reflects a community where flooding has shaped the local risk landscape in sustained ways. That sustained exposure has specific consequences for water quality that don't apply to lower-exposure areas. Treatment facilities handling intake from flood-saturated watersheds face contaminant loads that can exceed normal filtration capacity. Private wells in FEMA-designated zones face surface infiltration risk during every significant event. Distribution systems in areas that flood repeatedly accumulate backflow stress over time. None of these represent constant threats to water quality, but they are activated by the kinds of events that the NFIP record shows have occurred here, repeatedly, over many years.
New Hope has a significant flood history with 532 FEMA flood insurance claims on record, averaging $39,359 per claim. With 100% of ZIP codes in FEMA-designated flood zones, flood risk is a major concern for homeowners and water quality.
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. Flood damage can add significantly to the estimated <strong>$3,600</strong> remediation cost per household.
Residents in flood-prone areas should consider flood insurance even outside FEMA zones — over 25% of flood claims come from low-to-moderate risk areas. After any flood event, test your water before drinking.
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data, FEMA flood zone designations.
What You Can Do in New Hope
- 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. Filters rated for Contaminant 0700 can reduce the most common contaminant found in New Hope's water.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 51% 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 New Hope, PA