Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water
EPA ID: AL0000575 · 5,616 people served · 2 ZIP codes
With a five-year violation-free history, Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water delivers safe water to 5,616 residents.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary
Service Area Demographics
The Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water serves a community with a median household income of $54,783 and an estimated 16,286 residents across its service area. Approximately 54% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 71% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.
💧 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water's water is pumped from underground aquifers. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.
About 2% of homes in Calhoun County, Alabama rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Infrastructure Risk
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in Alabama
Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water (EPA ID: AL0000575) is a community water system in Alabama that serves approximately 5,616 people from groundwater sources.
This system provides water to 2 ZIP codes across 2 communities.
Violation History
Lead & Copper
No Lead and Copper Rule sampling data available for this water system.
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: 1 ZIP code confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 1 additional ZIP inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water (AL0000575) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water water safe to drink?
Based on EPA records, Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water has no recorded violations in the past 5 years — a positive indicator of water quality management.
How many people does Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water serve?
Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water serves approximately 5,616 people across 2 ZIP codes in Alabama.
Where does Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water get its water?
The primary water source is groundwater.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Tested Clean
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
This system reports zero confirmed lead service lines in its inventory. Unknown-material counts may still warrant verification.
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.