EPA data as of Oct 2026 · page updated 2026-10-29

Home hazard report for 14228 — Buffalo, NY

ZIP 14228 is served by Ecwa Amherst: no health-based violations since 2016, latest lead result 9.9 ppb, PFAS not tested. Erie County is in EPA radon zone 1.

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Where ZIP 14228 is

Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoom
ZIP code areaZIP center Water utility service area PFOA/PFOS ≥ 4 ppt Lead > 15 ppb 5+ violations Superfund site (active) proposed cleaned up Circles: other water systems flagged nearby; size = people served. Tap any symbol for details.

Drinking water: Ecwa Amherst

EPA IDNY1400399
People served92,697
Sourcesurface water (rivers, lakes)
Connections29,335

Health-based violations

No health-based violations reported since 2016.

Full record for Ecwa Amherst →

Lead

Jan 20209.9 ppb
Jan 20147.8 ppb
Jan 20111.9 ppb
Jan 20083 ppb
Jan 19999 ppb

90th-percentile lead per sampling round (90% of the homes sampled were at or below this level). Black line: EPA’s 15 ppb action level; under the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements the action level becomes 10 ppb from 2027.

PFAS (“forever chemicals”)

This system was not part of EPA’s 2023–2025 nationwide PFAS testing (UCMR 5).

Radon in Erie County

EPA radon zone 1 — highest potential. Predicted average indoor radon above 4 pCi/L — EPA’s action level. Test your home.

Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas from soil and rock, and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above and considering it from 2 pCi/L. A short-term test kit costs about $15–30. How radon zones work →

Natural hazard risk

FEMA rates the overall natural-hazard risk of this neighborhood (census tract) as Relatively High, with very high social vulnerability and very high community resilience.

Riverine floodingVery High
Cold waveRelatively High
Winter weatherRelatively High
Heat waveRelatively Moderate
TornadoRelatively Moderate
Ice stormRelatively Low
LightningRelatively Low
Strong windRelatively Low
EarthquakeVery Low
HailVery Low
HurricaneVery Low
WildfireVery Low

FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025): expected annual losses from each hazard combined with social vulnerability and community resilience, rated relative to all U.S. census tracts. Hazards not listed are not applicable here. It describes the area, not a single building; flood insurance maps (FEMA FIRMs) decide flood-insurance requirements.

Live conditions: river gauges and flood levels · tornado warnings · wildfire detections · earthquakes — our sister maps, updated from NOAA, USGS and NASA every few minutes.

Superfund sites nearby

SiteStatusDistance
Niagara County Refuse
Wheatfield, New York · EPA ID NYD000514257
Cleaned up & deleted6.6 mi
Pfohl Brothers Landfill
Cheektowaga, New York · EPA ID NYD980507495
Cleaned up & deleted7.9 mi
Hooker (102nd Street)
Niagara Falls, New York · EPA ID NYD980506810
Cleaned up & deleted8.5 mi
Love Canal
Niagara Falls, New York · EPA ID NYD000606947
Cleaned up & deleted9.0 mi

EPA Superfund National Priorities List (NPL): the country’s most serious known hazardous-waste sites, each with an EPA cleanup record (linked). Distance is measured from the ZIP center to the site’s reference point; being near a site does not by itself mean exposure — EPA site pages describe what was found and how it is being cleaned up.

Buying a home in Buffalo? See the 2026 conforming, FHA and jumbo loan limits for Erie County →

What this is — and isn’t. These are records your water utility and state reported to the EPA, and the EPA’s radon map for your county. They describe the system and the area, not the water from your own tap or the air in your home. For that, read your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report and test: lead and radon tests are inexpensive.

Questions about 14228

Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 14228?

Ecwa Amherst (EPA ID NY1400399), a surface water (rivers, lakes) system serving about 92,697 people.

Is there lead in Buffalo, NY tap water?

The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2020) was 9.9 ppb; EPA’s action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb from 2027. Lead mostly comes from service lines and home plumbing, so the only way to know your tap is to test it.

Does Buffalo, NY water have PFAS?

This system was not part of EPA’s 2023–2025 nationwide PFAS testing (UCMR 5 covers systems serving over 3,300 people and a sample of smaller ones).

Has the water system in 14228 had violations?

No health-based violations reported since 2016.

What natural hazards affect ZIP 14228?

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Relatively High; the highest-rated hazards are riverine flooding (very high), cold wave (relatively high), winter weather (relatively high).

Are there Superfund sites near 14228?

No active Superfund site within 10 miles of the ZIP center. Sites within 10 miles: Niagara County Refuse (6.6 mi, Cleaned up & deleted); Pfohl Brothers Landfill (7.9 mi, Cleaned up & deleted); Hooker (102nd Street) (8.5 mi, Cleaned up & deleted).

Is radon a problem in Erie County?

Erie County is in EPA radon zone 1 (highest potential). Predicted average indoor radon above 4 pCi/L — EPA’s action level. Test your home.