Saint Albans, WV: PFAS Found in Water - Home Safety 83/100
1 ZIP code · 3 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Saint Albans: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Tap water in Saint Albans, WV scores well - low violation counts, above-average safety grade.
How Saint Albans Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Key Facts for Saint Albans Residents
- Your city's water systems recorded 64 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0013 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 77% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,500 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 16.28 - above typical levels.
Saint Albans's Water Providers
Saint Albans, WV is covered by 3 major water utilities out of 3 federally tracked systems, each managing its own pipes, treatment processes, and EPA filings. What a household gets from the tap depends on which provider's system serves that address.
- B
- B
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Saint Albans, West Virginia (population ~23,211), covering 3 community water systems serving approximately 249,451 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. 1 health-based violation appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Saint Albans: B (83/100)
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
Saint Albans water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0013 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rule | Treatment Technique | 34 | 1 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 6 | 1 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Microbiological | 6 | 1 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 1 |
| Chlorodibromomethane | Disinfection Byproducts | 4 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25177 | B | 64 | 1 | St Albans Water |
All ZIP Codes in Saint Albans
- 25177 [B] - 64 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.
Saint Albans 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 Saint Albans's Water?
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Saint Albans Infrastructure Age
With 77% 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 a city's housing median build year is 1965, as in Saint Albans, the implication for water quality research is straightforward: municipal-level data captures what leaves the treatment plant, but household plumbing from before 1986 determines what actually arrives at the tap. In cities where older housing predominates, that gap between system-level and household-level data is widest.
Over half of homes in Saint Albans 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.
How Remediation Costs Compare in Saint Albans
Within the Saint Albans property market, documented remediation claims a moderate slice of typical equity - real but budgetable.
Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Saint Albans. The estimated $950–$2,400 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 3% below the West Virginia average.
Saint Albans: 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.
Routinely in Saint Albans, where 77% of housing predates the solder ban and aggregate utility readings hover near the federal threshold, a faucet-level draw functions as a standard household step for families with small kids.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Saint Albans: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context
Historical NFIP data for Saint Albans contains 200 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $14,499. 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>$1,500</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 Saint Albans, WV