Nicktown, PA: Lead Above EPA Action Level - Home Safety 67/100
1 ZIP code · 2 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Nicktown: C.
A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.
Within Nicktown, the records summarized for PA produce a C grade - a middle reading that calls for checking the specific system at your address.
How Nicktown Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Key Facts for Nicktown Residents
- Your city's water systems recorded 99 violations since 2021.
- Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: 0.017 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: 80% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $5,100 per household.
Nicktown's Water Providers
When a city is linked to 2 water systems, as Nicktown, PA is in federal records, water in one neighborhood may come from a different system than in another. The 2 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
- C
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Nicktown, Pennsylvania (population ~866), covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 6,150 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. 1 health-based violation appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Nicktown: C (67/100)
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
Nicktown water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: 0.0170 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 2.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | Inorganic | 10 | 1 |
| Barium | Inorganic | 10 | 1 |
| Cadmium | Inorganic | 10 | 1 |
| Chromium | Inorganic | 10 | 1 |
| Cyanide | Inorganic | 10 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15762 | C | 99 | 1 | Blacklick Valley Muni Authority |
All ZIP Codes in Nicktown
- 15762 [C] - 99 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.
What's in Nicktown's Water?
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Nicktown Infrastructure Age
With 80% 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
Ask the water utility whether your address in Nicktown has a lead service line; its inventory can answer what a median build year of 1966 cannot.
Over half of homes in Nicktown 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.
How Remediation Costs Compare in Nicktown
Compared with local property values, the estimated repair bill in Nicktown is large enough to clear the 2% cutoff that separates the elevated band from the moderate one.
Estimated remediation costs in Nicktown equal about 2.4% of the median home value; how much that burdens a household depends on its finances. For homes valued near the median, fixing water and safety issues could cost $3,350–$7,000. Home values here are 2% below the Pennsylvania average.
Nicktown: Lead Risk & Vulnerable Populations
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.
EPA advises using only cold water for drinking and cooking, a basic precaution for Nicktown households, where the ZIP-code mean of utilities' 90th-percentile lead values tops 0.015 mg/L and 80% of housing predates 1986.
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.
Nicktown: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context
Historical NFIP data for Nicktown contains 4 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $1,883. 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 $5,100 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 Nicktown
- 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 Arsenic, listed in the water-quality records for Nicktown: 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 80% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Nicktown, PA