West Middlesex, PA: a top-two-band grade.

Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania (population ~4,664), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 48,000 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 West Middlesex: B (82/100)

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

West Middlesex water systems draw from: Surface water.

Lead & Copper

• Average of reported 90th-percentile lead results: reported as 0 mg/L (a reported 0 is not proof of no lead; check the source record for its reporting limit) (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
• 0 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

Areas with Most Violations

All ZIP Codes in West Middlesex

• 16159 [B] - 5 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.

Housing Age Profile

Plumbing risk in older housing is tied to the period before 1986, when lead pipes and lead solder were still permitted in new plumbing. West Middlesex's median build year is 1965, and properties from before that year might still contain lead-bearing joints or pipes. Much of that risk sits inside individual properties, which city-level water quality averages don't capture.

1965

Median Year Built

85%

Pre-1986 (lead solder era; lead paint banned 1978)

61%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (61%) 1970–1986 (24%) Post-1986 (15%)

Over half of homes in West Middlesex 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.

Cost Context: What Remediation Means for West Middlesex Homeowners

Of the three cost-context tiers - low, moderate and elevated - West Middlesex is in the low one.

Median Home Value

$169,700

Est. Remediation

$500

Remediation as % of home value 0.3%

Estimated remediation costs in West Middlesex can be compared with local home values. The $300–$800 estimated range can be set against the median property value; actual costs vary by home. Home values are 20% below the Pennsylvania average.

Lead Exposure Risk for Children in West Middlesex

85%

Homes Built Before 1986

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.

If you have young children or are pregnant, consider testing your home's water - especially if your home was built before 1986.

Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.