Rapid City, SD: 9 Health Violations - Home Safety 76/100
4 ZIP codes · 12 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Rapid City: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Your top priority: consider a certified water filter (9 health violations on record). NSF certified filters →
EPA compliance records for Rapid City tell a largely clear story: violation rates are low, health-based exceedances are uncommon, and the city's grade puts it well above average within SD.
How Rapid City Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Rapid City Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 12 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0073 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 53% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,575 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 12.98 - above typical levels.
Who Supplies Your Water in Rapid City
Federal drinking water records identify 12 systems in Rapid City, SD. The leading 3 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.
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Overview
We track home safety data for 4 ZIP codes in Rapid City, South Dakota, covering 12 community water systems serving approximately 98,535 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 3 of 4 ZIP codes.
3 of 3 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (100%) have recorded EPA violations. 9 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Rapid City: B (76/100)
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
Rapid City water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0073 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 3 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 4 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Alpha | Radionuclides | 10 | 1 |
| Gross Beta | Radionuclides | 8 | 1 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Microbiological | 4 | 3 |
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting | 3 | 2 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57703 | C | 10 | 9 | Rapid Valley Sanitary District |
| 57701 | B | 2 | 0 | Rapid City |
| 57702 | B | 2 | 0 | Rapid City |
All ZIP Codes in Rapid City
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.
Health Outcomes in Rapid City
Source: CDC PLACES (County-level estimates). Water contamination can correlate with respiratory and chronic health conditions.
Compared to National Average
Vertical line = national average. ■ Above national · ■ Below national
Top Contaminants in Rapid City Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Housing & Infrastructure in Rapid City
With 53% 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 1980 mean for water safety in Rapid City? 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 Rapid City 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 Rapid City Homeowners
Placing remediation in the context of Rapid City's property market, the equity share is low - most homeowners here are weighing a financial commitment that fits comfortably within routine property planning, far from the threshold where remediation becomes a material equity decision rather than a standard upkeep consideration.
Remediation costs in Rapid City are relatively low compared to home values. The $775–$2,550 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 43% above the South Dakota average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Rapid City
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 53% of the Rapid City 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 Rapid City
Historical NFIP data for Rapid City contains 94 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $8,095. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 33% 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>$1,575</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 Rapid City, SD