Ralston, PA: High Radon Risk - Home Safety Score unavailable
1 ZIP code · 0 water systems · Updated
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Ralston Water
- Homes built before 1986: 88% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $2,700 per household.
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Ralston, Pennsylvania, covering 0 community water system serving approximately 264 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 0 of 1 ZIP codes.
EPA water-system violation data is unavailable in the dataset used for this page for the tracked ZIP codes in Ralston.
Lead & Copper
- Lead data: not yet available for Ralston
- Lead action-level status: not available
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 1 (High Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
All ZIP Codes in Ralston
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 & Infrastructure in Ralston
With 88% 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
What does a median build year of 1940 mean for water safety in Ralston? It means the majority of the city's residential plumbing was installed before 1986, when lead solder was federally banned, and a large share may predate 1970, when lead pipes were commonly used - making plumbing age a central variable in household-level lead risk across much of the city.
Over half of homes in Ralston 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 Ralston Homeowners
What should Ralston property owners understand before approaching remediation at this cost-to-value tier? That the equity share is elevated enough to treat this as a formal financial decision - one where knowing the full scope and prioritizing documented issues by urgency shape the outcome more than any single variable, given where this market falls on the remediation-share scale.
At 2.4% of home value, remediation costs in Ralston represent a significant financial burden. For homes valued near the median, fixing water and safety issues could cost $1,750–$3,900. Home values here are 47% below the Pennsylvania average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Ralston
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.
If 88% of the Ralston inventory comes from before the federal ban on lead-bearing solder - and if utility samples sit at or near 0.015 mg/L - the gap between citywide averages and one specific faucet becomes a practical concern rather than a theoretical one. That is why one-home reads exist as a separate measurement. A certified filter through retailer networks addresses confirmed exposure where it appears in a household.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in Ralston
Historical NFIP data for Ralston contains 33 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $10,733. 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>$2,700</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.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Ralston, PA