Saint Thomas, PA: 2 Health Violations - Home Safety 51/100
1 ZIP code · 2 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Saint Thomas: D.
Several federal signals point to home-safety risks in this ZIP.
Systems across Saint Thomas show elevated violation counts against PA benchmarks - the low safety grade reflects that ongoing compliance pattern.
How Saint Thomas Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Key Facts for Saint Thomas Residents
- Your city's water systems recorded 38 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0039 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 75% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $2,900 per household.
Saint Thomas's Water Providers
Federal drinking water records identify 2 systems in Saint Thomas, PA. The leading 2 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.
- D
- D
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Saint Thomas, Pennsylvania (population ~4,290), covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 14,939 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. 2 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Saint Thomas: D (51/100)
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
Saint Thomas water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0039 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
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting | 16 | 1 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | Treatment Technique | 12 | 1 |
| E. coli | Microbiological | 12 | 1 |
| Contaminant 0700 | Other | 10 | 1 |
| Nitrite | Inorganic | 4 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17252 | D | 38 | 2 | Bear Valley Joint Authority |
All ZIP Codes in Saint Thomas
- 17252 [D] - 38 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 Saint Thomas's Water?
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Saint Thomas Infrastructure Age
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
Saint Thomas's housing stock is predominantly older, with a median build year of 1960 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 Saint Thomas 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.
How Remediation Costs Compare in Saint Thomas
The household financial perspective in Saint Thomas reflects a moderate cost-to-value ratio - an equity share that is not trivially small but remains within the range where most homeowners can address documented water and safety issues by treating the expense as a real line item in property planning rather than a discretionary one.
Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Saint Thomas. The estimated $1,900–$4,100 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 5% below the Pennsylvania average.
Saint Thomas: Lead Risk & Vulnerable Populations
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 75% of the Saint Thomas 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.
Saint Thomas: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context
Historical NFIP data for Saint Thomas contains 4 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $6,467. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 0% 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>$2,900</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 Saint Thomas
- 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 Consumer Confidence Report Rule can reduce the most common contaminant found in Saint Thomas'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 Saint Thomas, PA