Home hazard report for 18099 — Emmaus, PA
ZIP 18099 is served by Emmaus Borough Public Water: 1 violation since 2016, latest lead result 3 ppb, PFAS 153 ppt. Lehigh 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.
Active or proposed Superfund (National Priorities List) sites near the center of this ZIP code.
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Where ZIP 18099 is
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.
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
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 →
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 | 2.6 mi |
| Novak Sanitary Landfill South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD079160842 | Active (final NPL) | 7.3 mi |
| Dorney Road Landfill Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980508832 | Cleaned up & deleted | 8.3 mi |
| Berks Sand Pit Longswamp Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980691794 | Active (final NPL) | 8.6 mi |
| Reeser's Landfill Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980829261 | Cleaned up & deleted | 8.8 mi |
| Hellertown Manufacturing Co. Hellertown, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD002390748 | Active (final NPL) | 9.1 mi |
| Hebelka Auto Salvage Yard Weisenberg Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980829329 | Cleaned up & deleted | 9.3 mi |
| Crossley Farm Hereford Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD981740061 | Active (final NPL) | 9.7 mi |
| Heleva Landfill North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980537716 | Active (final NPL) | 9.7 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 18099
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 18099?
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 18099 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Revised Total Coliform Rule. All are listed as resolved.
Are there Superfund sites near 18099?
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 (2.6 mi, Cleaned up & deleted); Novak Sanitary Landfill (7.3 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in Lehigh?
Lehigh is in EPA radon zone 1 (highest potential). Predicted average indoor radon above 4 pCi/L — EPA’s action level. Test your home.