Puyallup, WA: 15 Violations - Home Safety 80/100
5 ZIP codes · 11 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Puyallup: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Puyallup's tap water quality puts it in WA's upper tier - health-based violations are rare and the compliance record is consistently above average.
How Puyallup Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Water Quality Map: Puyallup, WA
Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.
Score Distribution
Safety grade breakdown for Puyallup's 5 ZIP codes.
Key Facts for Puyallup Residents
- Your city's water systems recorded 15 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0068 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 41% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $2,040 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 11.95.
Puyallup's Water Providers
Federal drinking water records identify 11 systems in Puyallup, WA. The leading 3 providers serve the largest share of residential connections, each operating as a separate entity with its own rate authority, infrastructure management, and EPA compliance obligations - so service conditions are not uniform city-wide.
- B
- B
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 5 ZIP codes in Puyallup, Washington (population ~159,553), covering 11 community water systems serving approximately 712,156 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 5 of 5 ZIP codes.
5 of 5 ZIP codes 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 Puyallup: B (80/100)
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
Puyallup water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0068 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting | 28 | 5 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 11 | 5 |
| Lead | Inorganic | 9 | 2 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 9 | 5 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 9 | 5 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98372 | B | 12 | 0 | City of Puyallup |
| 98374 | B | 12 | 0 | City of Tacoma Water Division |
| 98371 | B | 11 | 0 | City of Puyallup |
| 98375 | B | 10 | 0 | Firgrove Mutual Inc. |
| 98373 | B | 7 | 0 | Fruitland Mutual Water Company |
All ZIP Codes in Puyallup
- 98371 [B] - 11 violations
- 98372 [B] - 12 violations
- 98373 [B] - 7 violations
- 98374 [B] - 12 violations
- 98375 [B] - 10 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.
Puyallup 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 Puyallup's Water?
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Puyallup Infrastructure Age
With 41% 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 regulatory milestones define plumbing-era risk in residential housing: 1970, when lead pipes were still commonly installed for service lines, and 1986, when lead solder was banned from new copper plumbing. A median build year of 1991 places Puyallup in the middle zone between those thresholds - with a meaningful share of housing predating both cutoffs. The distribution shown above breaks out those eras explicitly, clarifying where concentrated risk sits across the residential inventory.
Most homes in Puyallup 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 Puyallup
Placing remediation in the context of Puyallup's property market, the equity share is low - most homeowners here are weighing a financial commitment that fits comfortably within routine property planning, far from the threshold where remediation becomes a material equity decision rather than a standard upkeep consideration.
Remediation costs in Puyallup are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,360–$2,880 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 10% above the Washington average.
Puyallup: 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.
Practically, the structural drivers in Puyallup - 41% pre-rule stock and citywide monitoring at or beyond the regulatory benchmark - make an in-home draw the practical way to translate aggregate averages into the specific conditions at one address.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Puyallup: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context
Historical NFIP data for Puyallup contains 170 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $41,417. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 60% 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>$2,040</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 Puyallup, WA