Although much of White meets baseline drinking water standards, some SD-tracked service areas show violations that merit a closer look - particularly for older housing stock.

Data: EPA SDWIS

Overview

We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in White, South Dakota (population ~949), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 6,200 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 1 of 1 ZIP codes.

The available EPA record reports 0 violations for 1 ZIP code with a reported violation count.

Home Safety Score

Average Home Safety Score for White: C (67/100)

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

White water systems draw from: Groundwater.

Lead & Copper

• Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0130 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.

Areas with No Violations

All ZIP Codes in White

• 57276 [C]

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

What does a median build year of 1956 mean for water safety in White? 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.

1956

Median Year Built

74%

Pre-1986 (Lead Paint Risk)

54%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (54%) 1970–1986 (20%) Post-1986 (26%)

Over half of homes in White 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.

White: Remediation Cost in Perspective

Setting White remediation figures against its property market, the resulting ratio sits comfortably in the low tier - a classification that reflects the kind of household financial position where most homeowners can identify documented issues, schedule the work, and absorb the cost without it registering as a significant budget disruption.

Median Home Value

$178,100

Est. Remediation

$1,500

Remediation as % of home value 0.8%

Remediation costs in White are relatively low compared to home values. The $950–$2,100 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 2% above the South Dakota average.

Protecting Children from Lead in White

74%

Homes Built Before 1986

0.013

mg/L Avg Lead (Limit: 0.015)

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 74% of the White 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.