Kelso, WA: 7 Violations - Home Safety 98/100
1 ZIP code · 5 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Kelso: A.
No federal data flags a major home-safety concern for this ZIP.
Water systems serving Kelso hold a strong EPA compliance record - the city places among the better-performing areas in WA with few health-based violations on file.
How Kelso Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Kelso Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 7 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.005 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 66% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,200 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 13.81 - above typical levels.
Water Systems Serving Kelso
3 water utilities share the residential service territory in Kelso, WA - out of 5 total systems in federal records.
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Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Kelso, Washington (population ~26,948), covering 5 community water systems serving approximately 93,571 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 Kelso: A (98/100)
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
Kelso water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0050 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 3 (Low Risk)
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 6 | 1 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 1 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 2 | 1 |
| E. coli | Microbiological | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98626 | A | 7 | 0 | City of Kelso |
All ZIP Codes in Kelso
- 98626 [A] - 7 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.
CDC Health Data for Kelso
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
Key Contaminants Detected in Kelso
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Kelso's Housing Stock?
With 66% 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
Two dates define the high-risk tiers of residential plumbing from a lead standpoint: 1970, before which lead pipes were commonly installed for service connections, and 1986, before which lead solder was standard in copper plumbing. A median build year of 1976 places Kelso's housing distribution well within that older risk zone. The bar chart above breaks down how much of the stock falls into each era - and the pre-1986 share alone represents more than half the residential inventory, making plumbing-era risk a defining characteristic of the local water safety picture.
Over half of homes in Kelso 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.
Kelso: Remediation Cost in Perspective
In Kelso, property values comfortably outpace what documented remediation typically costs - the equity share is proportionally low.
Remediation costs in Kelso are relatively low compared to home values. The $800–$1,800 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 27% below the Washington average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Kelso
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.
Wherever 66% of local housing was built before solder rules changed - as is the case in Kelso - a faucet-level sample closes the gap that aggregate utility data cannot.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Kelso
Historical NFIP data for Kelso contains 186 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $25,294. 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>$1,200</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.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Kelso, WA