Home hazard report for 19511 — Bowers, PA
ZIP 19511 is served by Maxatawny TWP Muni Auth: 2 violations since 2016, latest lead result 19 ppb, PFAS not tested. Berks County is in EPA radon zone 1.
Health-based violations since 2016: Groundwater Rule. All are listed as resolved.
The 90th-percentile lead level in the latest round (Jan 2001) was above EPA's 15 ppb action level, which requires the utility to take further steps.
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).
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.
The nearest active Superfund site is 6.3 miles away.
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Where ZIP 19511 is
Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Maxatawny TWP Muni Auth
Health-based violations
| Contaminant or rule | Health-based violations since 2016 |
|---|---|
| Groundwater Rule | 2 |
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 Apr 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”)
This system was not part of EPA’s 2023–2025 nationwide PFAS testing (UCMR 5).
Radon in Berks 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 Moderate, with very high 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dorney Road Landfill Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980508832 | Cleaned up & deleted | 5.5 mi |
| Berks Sand Pit Longswamp Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980691794 | Active (final NPL) | 6.3 mi |
| Crossley Farm Hereford Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD981740061 | Active (final NPL) | 7.3 mi |
| Hebelka Auto Salvage Yard Weisenberg Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980829329 | Cleaned up & deleted | 7.4 mi |
| Reeser's Landfill Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980829261 | Cleaned up & deleted | 7.9 mi |
| Bally Ground Water Contamination Bally Borough, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD061105128 | Active (final NPL) | 9.9 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 19511
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 19511?
Maxatawny TWP Muni Auth (EPA ID PA3060013), a groundwater (wells) system serving about 425 people.
Is there lead in Bowers, PA tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2001) was 19 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 Bowers, PA 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 19511 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Groundwater Rule. All are listed as resolved.
What natural hazards affect ZIP 19511?
FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Relatively Moderate; the highest-rated hazards are winter weather (very high), drought (relatively high), lightning (relatively high).
Are there Superfund sites near 19511?
The nearest active Superfund site is 6.3 miles away. Sites within 10 miles: Dorney Road Landfill (5.5 mi, Cleaned up & deleted); Berks Sand Pit (6.3 mi, Active (final NPL)); Crossley Farm (7.3 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in Berks County?
Berks County is in EPA radon zone 1 (highest potential). Predicted average indoor radon above 4 pCi/L — EPA’s action level. Test your home.