South Bend, WA: Lead Above EPA Limits - Home Safety 100/100
1 ZIP code · 2 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for South Bend: A.
No federal data flags a major home-safety concern for this ZIP.
Within South Bend, safety indicators for tap water remain above the WA median - documented violations are infrequent and the city's compliance record sits in the upper tier.
How South Bend Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About South Bend Water
- Average lead level: 0.023 mg/L - exceeds the EPA action level of 0.015 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 81% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $6,060 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 15.07 - above typical levels.
Who Supplies Your Water in South Bend
Residential addresses in South Bend, WA 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.
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Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in South Bend, Washington (population ~1,848), covering 2 community water systems serving approximately 5,355 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 1 of 1 ZIP codes.
The available EPA record reports 0 violations for 1 ZIP code with a reported violation count.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for South Bend: A (100/100)
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
South Bend water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0230 mg/L (exceeds EPA action level) (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 1 of 1 ZIP code with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98586 | A | South Bend Water Department | 2,930 |
All ZIP Codes in South Bend
- 98586 [A]
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 South Bend
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 South Bend
With 81% 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
For residents trying to assess tap water risk in South Bend, the median build year of 1968 is the starting context. It signals that a majority of homes were constructed before 1986 - the year federal rules prohibited lead solder in new plumbing - and that a significant share likely predates 1970, when lead pipes were still a common choice for residential service connections. Neither risk tier is rare in this housing inventory.
Over half of homes in South Bend 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 South Bend Homeowners
Looking at how documented remediation costs fit within South Bend's property market, the equity share lands in the elevated tier - a result that positions the household financial perspective as one requiring structured preparation, where mapping costs against household budget, documenting scope early, and sequencing by urgency are the practical tools that distinguish manageable outcomes from financially disruptive ones.
At 2.6% of home value, remediation costs in South Bend represent a significant financial burden. For homes valued near the median, fixing water and safety issues could cost $4,040–$8,280. Home values here are 50% below the Washington average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in South Bend
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.
Throughout the multi-year monitoring window under Lead and Copper Rule sampling, citywide samples for South Bend have moved past the regulatory action mark, and 81% of local stock comes from the pre-rule era. Both the housing inventory and the system data support active household-level reads as a practical step.
<strong>1 ZIP code</strong> (100% of the city) exceeds the EPA lead action level of 0.015 mg/L.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in South Bend
Historical NFIP data for South Bend contains 39 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $20,805. 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>$6,060</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 South Bend, WA