Mc Dowell, VA Water - Home Safety Score unavailable
1 ZIP code · 0 water systems · Updated
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Mc Dowell Water
- Homes built before 1986: 68% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $2,400 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 15.16 - above typical levels.
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Mc Dowell, Virginia, covering 0 community water system serving approximately 213 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 0 of 1 ZIP codes.
EPA water-system violation data is unavailable in the dataset used for this page for the tracked ZIP codes in Mc Dowell.
Lead & Copper
- Lead data: not yet available for Mc Dowell
- Lead action-level status: not available
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 1 (High Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
All ZIP Codes in Mc Dowell
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 Mc Dowell
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
Housing & Infrastructure in Mc Dowell
With 68% 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
While newer cities carry lower aggregate plumbing risk from lead-era construction, Mc Dowell sits firmly in the older category. The median build year of 1979 indicates that more than half the housing stock was built before 1986, when lead solder was still legally used in residential copper plumbing - and a substantial portion likely predates 1970, when lead pipes were still commonly installed for service lines. These two thresholds together define the elevated plumbing risk environment that older housing cities carry, independent of what the municipal water supply delivers to the meter.
Over half of homes in Mc Dowell 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 Mc Dowell Homeowners
In Mc Dowell, 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 Mc Dowell. The estimated $1,600–$3,300 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 37% below the Virginia average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Mc Dowell
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.
Although utility-side compliance with federal Lead and Copper requirements remains the system reference, that compliance does not extend down into interior plumbing. With 68% of Mc Dowell stock built before the solder ban and aggregate readings at or beyond the action mark, a household-level sample becomes the practical way to close that information gap.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in Mc Dowell
Historical NFIP data for Mc Dowell contains 1 flood insurance claim. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $15,677. 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.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Mc Dowell, VA