Bellows Falls, VT: 3 Violations - Home Safety 82/100
1 ZIP code · 2 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Bellows Falls: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Bellows Falls tap water earns a high safety grade - above-average compliance with VT and federal standards.
How Bellows Falls Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Bellows Falls Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 3 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0018 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 87% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,600 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 12.09 - above typical levels.
Who Supplies Your Water in Bellows Falls
Residential addresses in Bellows Falls, VT are served by 2 primary water providers out of 2 systems in federal records. Each system maintains separate infrastructure and files its own EPA compliance reports, so service conditions are not uniform across the city.
- B
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Bellows Falls, Vermont, covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 4,135 people. 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 Bellows Falls: 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
Bellows Falls water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0018 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 2 (Moderate Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 4 | 1 |
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05101 | B | 3 | 0 | Bellows Falls Water Department |
All ZIP Codes in Bellows Falls
- 05101 [B] - 3 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.
Health Outcomes in Bellows Falls
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 Bellows Falls Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Housing & Infrastructure in Bellows Falls
With 87% 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
Bellows Falls's housing stock is predominantly older, with a median build year of 1901 that reflects decades of construction before federal plumbing standards were tightened. The 1986 ban on lead solder and the pre-1970 era of lead service lines are both relevant benchmarks here - a significant share of the residential inventory predates one or both of those cutoffs, creating an elevated baseline for plumbing-related lead risk that aggregate water quality data may not fully reflect at the household level.
Over half of homes in Bellows Falls 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 Bellows Falls Homeowners
Remediation costs in Bellows Falls are small relative to typical property values - the cost-to-value ratio here is favorable.
Remediation costs in Bellows Falls are relatively low compared to home values. The $800–$2,600 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 33% below the Vermont average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Bellows Falls
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.
Pulling a tap sample fills the gap that utility data cannot close, particularly here where 87% of housing dates from the pre-rule era and citywide monitoring sits at or above the regulatory mark in Bellows Falls.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in Bellows Falls
Historical NFIP data for Bellows Falls contains 5 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $24,054. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 100% 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>$1,600</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 Bellows Falls, VT