Benton City, WA: PFAS Found in Water - Home Safety 59/100
1 ZIP code · 5 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Benton City: C.
A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.
While Benton City avoids WA's lowest safety tiers, a portion of its water systems have logged documented violations.
How Benton City Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Key Facts for Benton City Residents
- Your city's water systems recorded 24 violations in the past 5 years.
- Homes built before 1986: 45% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $2,200 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 11.69.
Benton City's Water Providers
Federal records list 5 water systems tied to Benton City, WA. Of those, 3 are the primary providers, meaning service conditions, rate structures, and compliance histories can differ depending on where a property sits.
- C
- C
- C
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Benton City, Washington (population ~10,157), covering 5 community water systems serving approximately 29,556 people region-wide. 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 Benton City: C (59/100)
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
Benton City water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | Inorganic | 2 | 1 |
| PFOA | PFAS | 2 | 1 |
| PFNA | PFAS | 2 | 1 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 2 | 1 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99320 | C | 24 | 0 | Benton City Water |
All ZIP Codes in Benton City
- 99320 [C] - 24 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.
Benton City 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 Benton City's Water?
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Benton City Infrastructure Age
With 45% 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
When trying to understand water quality at the household level, the year a home was built often matters more than any city-wide water report. That's because the 1986 federal ban on lead solder in plumbing, and the earlier phase-out of lead pipes before 1970, created sharp discontinuities in residential plumbing risk by construction era. Benton City's median build year of 1980 puts the city in the transition zone: a substantial share of the housing stock postdates the solder ban, but a comparable fraction predates it - with the oldest homes carrying both the solder risk and the pipe risk simultaneously. Whether any individual household sits on the safer or riskier side of these thresholds is the key question, and it's one the city-wide median alone can't answer.
Most homes in Benton City 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 Benton City
What does remediation cost in financial context for Benton City homeowners? Proportionally very little - the equity share here is low, and addressing documented issues is a manageable planning question rather than a material financial burden.
Remediation costs in Benton City are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,200–$3,400 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 36% below the Washington average.
Benton City: 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.
45% - that captures the slice of Benton City housing dating from before the federal ban on solder containing lead. It pairs with aggregate utility readings that either approach or cross 0.015 mg/L, the benchmark set under the EPA Lead and Copper Rule. Together, the two figures shift one-home reads into a standard household-level confirmation, particularly for families with kids. A certified lead-removal filter is available through retailer-verified channels if a kit returns results that warrant additional measures.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Benton City: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context
Historical NFIP data for Benton City contains 27 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $18,737. 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>$2,200</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.
What You Can Do in Benton City
- Test your water at home. City-level data shows averages - your tap may differ. NSF-certified test kits cost $20-40 and give results in days.
- Install a certified water filter. Filters rated for Lead can reduce the most common contaminant found in Benton City's water.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 45% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Benton City, WA