Saltsburg, PA: 13 Violations - Home Safety 62/100
1 ZIP code · 2 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Saltsburg: C.
A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.
Across water systems in Saltsburg, safety results are uneven - a portion carry active or recent violations, while others meet federal standards without incident, placing the city in the middle tier for PA.
How Saltsburg Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Saltsburg Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 13 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0035 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 78% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $2,400 per household.
Water Systems Serving Saltsburg
Saltsburg, PA draws its residential water from 2 separate providers among the 2 federally tracked systems. Each operates independently, with its own infrastructure, rate structure, and compliance record.
- C
- C
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania (population ~4,506), covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 152,638 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 Saltsburg: C (62/100)
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
Saltsburg water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0035 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 1 |
| Chlorite | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 1 |
| E. coli | Microbiological | 4 | 1 |
| Barium | Inorganic | 2 | 1 |
| Contaminant 1045 | Other | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15681 | C | 13 | 0 | Mawc Sweeney Plant |
All ZIP Codes in Saltsburg
- 15681 [C] - 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.
Key Contaminants Detected in Saltsburg
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Saltsburg's Housing Stock?
With 78% 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
Viewed through the lens of construction era, Saltsburg is predominantly an older city - a median build year of 1968 puts most of the residential inventory in the range where pre-1986 plumbing materials were the standard.
Over half of homes in Saltsburg 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.
Saltsburg: Remediation Cost in Perspective
In Saltsburg, the equity share of documented remediation is meaningful enough to move the household financial perspective from routine maintenance into deliberate budgeting territory - the cost-to-value ratio is moderate, and most homeowners benefit from mapping the full scope against available budgets before committing.
Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Saltsburg. The estimated $1,600–$3,300 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 38% below the Pennsylvania average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Saltsburg
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 78% of the Saltsburg 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 Flood-Claim Evidence for Saltsburg
Historical NFIP data for Saltsburg contains 1 flood insurance claim. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $2,502. 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>$2,400</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 Saltsburg
- 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 Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) can reduce the most common contaminant found in Saltsburg's water.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 78% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Saltsburg, PA