Brownsville, TX: 7 Health Violations - Home Safety 73/100
5 ZIP codes · 6 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Brownsville: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Your top priority: consider a certified water filter (7 health violations on record). NSF certified filters →
Tap water monitoring data for Brownsville shows a consistently clean picture in TX - few violations on record, compliance well above the median.
How Brownsville Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Key Facts for Brownsville Residents
- Your city's water systems recorded 8 violations in the past 5 years.
- Homes built before 1986: 36% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,560 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 13.2 - above typical levels.
Brownsville's Water Providers
Federal records list 6 water systems tied to Brownsville, TX. Of those, 3 are the primary providers, meaning service conditions, rate structures, and compliance histories can differ depending on where a property sits.
- B
- B
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 5 ZIP codes in Brownsville, Texas, covering 6 community water systems serving approximately 210,916 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 3 of 5 ZIP codes.
2 of 3 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (67%) have recorded EPA violations. 7 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Brownsville: B (73/100)
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
Brownsville water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0000 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 3 (Low Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 5 ZIP codes
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barium | Inorganic | 8 | 1 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 7 | 2 |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78520 | B | 8 | 7 | Brownsville Public Utilities Board |
| 78526 | B | 1 | 1 | Brownsville Public Utilities Board |
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78521 | B | Brownsville Public Utilities Board | 201,249 |
All ZIP Codes in Brownsville
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.
Brownsville Community Health Snapshot
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
What's in Brownsville's Water?
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Brownsville Infrastructure Age
Housing age data helps assess potential lead pipe and infrastructure risks. Newer housing stock generally means lower plumbing-related contamination risk.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
Lead solder was a standard plumbing material before 1986, when federal law prohibited its use in new residential construction. In Brownsville, the median build year of 1990 indicates that plumbing age is a material factor in local lead risk - with the pre-1986 share concentrated in specific neighborhoods and building types where older construction remains common.
Most homes in Brownsville were built after 1986, reducing the risk of lead contamination from plumbing. Older homes should still be tested.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
How Remediation Costs Compare in Brownsville
The cost-to-value ratio in Brownsville is in the moderate range - neither dismissible nor alarming, but above the threshold where remediation can be treated as incidental. Most homeowners here are weighing a real equity commitment, and the moderate classification reflects that accurately.
Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Brownsville. The estimated $1,040–$2,280 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 43% below the Texas average.
Brownsville: 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.
In recent monitoring under the Lead and Copper Rule, citywide samples for Brownsville have approached or crossed the regulatory action level on multiple occasions. Combined with 36% of stock dating from the pre-rule era, the picture supports baseline single-tap reads as a standard household-level step.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Brownsville: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context
Historical NFIP data for Brownsville contains 1,009 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $17,279. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 40% 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>$1,560</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 Brownsville, TX