Home hazard report for 18049 — Emmaus, PA
ZIP 18049 is served by Emmaus Borough Public Water: 1 violation since 2016, latest lead result 3 ppb, PFAS 153 ppt. Lehigh County is in EPA radon zone 1.
Health-based violations since 2016: Revised Total Coliform Rule. All are listed as resolved.
90th-percentile lead in the latest round (Jun 2025). Lead comes mostly from household plumbing and service lines, so individual homes can be higher.
Highest PFOA or PFOS result in EPA’s 2023–2025 testing was at or above 4.0 ppt, EPA’s 2024 maximum contaminant level for each. 10 PFAS compounds detected.
Predicted average indoor radon above 4 pCi/L — EPA’s action level. Test your home.
FEMA’s overall natural-hazard risk for this census tract, relative to the rest of the U.S.
Active or proposed Superfund (National Priorities List) sites near the center of this ZIP code.
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Where ZIP 18049 is
Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Emmaus Borough Public Water
Health-based violations
| Contaminant or rule | Health-based violations since 2016 |
|---|---|
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | 1 |
A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its legal limit (MCL) or a required treatment technique was not met, as reported by the state to EPA’s SDWIS. All are listed as resolved or archived; the latest began Jun 2024.
Full record for Emmaus Borough Public Water →
Other systems overlapping this ZIP: Lca Wlsa Central Division, Lca Upper Milford Central Div.
Lead
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”)
| Compound | Highest result | Samples with detection | EPA limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFOS | 153 ppt | 7 of 8 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFNA | 99.8 ppt | 4 of 8 | — |
| PFPeA | 51.6 ppt | 8 of 8 | — |
| PFHxA | 41.5 ppt | 8 of 8 | — |
| PFHxS | 33.2 ppt | 5 of 8 | — |
| PFHpA | 30.9 ppt | 6 of 8 | — |
| PFOA | 22.4 ppt | 8 of 8 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFBS | 16.5 ppt | 5 of 8 | — |
| PFBA | 13.5 ppt | 2 of 8 | — |
| PFDA | 7 ppt | 2 of 8 | — |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), samples 2023–2025; ppt = parts per trillion (ng/L). The 4.0 ppt maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS were set by EPA in 2024; water systems have until the end of the decade to comply.
Radon in Lehigh 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 Low, with very low social vulnerability and relatively high community resilience.
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
| Site | Status | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Rodale Manufacturing Co., Inc. Emmaus Borough, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD981033285 | Active (final NPL) | <1 mi |
| Voortman Farm Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980692719 | Cleaned up & deleted | 2.8 mi |
| Berks Sand Pit Longswamp Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980691794 | Active (final NPL) | 8.2 mi |
| Novak Sanitary Landfill South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD079160842 | Active (final NPL) | 8.5 mi |
| Dorney Road Landfill Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980508832 | Cleaned up & deleted | 8.6 mi |
| Crossley Farm Hereford Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD981740061 | Active (final NPL) | 9.1 mi |
| Hellertown Manufacturing Co. Hellertown, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD002390748 | Active (final NPL) | 9.3 mi |
| Watson Johnson Landfill Richland Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980706824 | Active (final NPL) | 9.4 mi |
| Reeser's Landfill Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980829261 | Cleaned up & deleted | 9.6 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.
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 18049
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 18049?
Emmaus Borough Public Water (EPA ID PA3390032), a groundwater (wells) system serving about 14,000 people.
Is there lead in Emmaus, PA tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jun 2025) was 3 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 Emmaus, PA water have PFAS?
Highest PFOA or PFOS result in EPA’s 2023–2025 testing was at or above 4.0 ppt, EPA’s 2024 maximum contaminant level for each. 10 PFAS compounds detected.
Has the water system in 18049 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Revised Total Coliform Rule. All are listed as resolved.
What natural hazards affect ZIP 18049?
FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Relatively Low; the highest-rated hazards are cold wave (relatively high), winter weather (relatively high), heat wave (relatively moderate).
Are there Superfund sites near 18049?
Active or proposed Superfund (National Priorities List) sites near the center of this ZIP code. Sites within 10 miles: Rodale Manufacturing Co., Inc. (0.6 mi, Active (final NPL)); Voortman Farm (2.8 mi, Cleaned up & deleted); Berks Sand Pit (8.2 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in Lehigh County?
Lehigh County is in EPA radon zone 1 (highest potential). Predicted average indoor radon above 4 pCi/L — EPA’s action level. Test your home.