Home hazard report for 19603 — Reading, PA
ZIP 19603 is served by Reading Area Water Authority (as listed by the state): 4 violations since 2016, latest lead result 0 ppb, PFAS 6.6 ppt. Berks is in EPA radon zone 1.
Health-based violations since 2016: Revised Total Coliform Rule, Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment 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. 5 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 19603 is
blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Reading Area Water Authority
Health-based violations
| Contaminant or rule | Health-based violations since 2016 |
|---|---|
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | 3 |
| Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment 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 Apr 2025.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFOA | 6.6 ppt | 4 of 4 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFBS | 5.6 ppt | 4 of 4 | — |
| PFPeA | 5.4 ppt | 4 of 4 | — |
| PFHxA | 4.4 ppt | 4 of 4 | — |
| PFHpA | 3 ppt | 1 of 4 | — |
| PFDA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFHxS | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFOS | not detected | 0 of 4 | 4 ppt MCL |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFBA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
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 Berks
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Former Exide Technologies Laureldale Laureldale, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAN000305561 | Active (final NPL) | 2.9 mi |
| Berks Landfill Spring Township, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD000651810 | Cleaned up & deleted | 7.6 mi |
| Brown's Battery Breaking Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980831812 | Active (final NPL) | 9.3 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 19603
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 19603?
Reading Area Water Authority (EPA ID PA3060059), a surface water (rivers, lakes) system serving about 95,100 people, listed by the state as serving this ZIP code.
Is there lead in Reading, PA tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jun 2025) was 0 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 Reading, 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. 5 PFAS compounds detected.
Has the water system in 19603 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Revised Total Coliform Rule, Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule. All are listed as resolved.
Are there Superfund sites near 19603?
Active or proposed Superfund (National Priorities List) sites near the center of this ZIP code. Sites within 10 miles: Former Exide Technologies Laureldale (2.9 mi, Active (final NPL)); Berks Landfill (7.6 mi, Cleaned up & deleted); Brown's Battery Breaking (9.3 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in Berks?
Berks is in EPA radon zone 1 (highest potential). Predicted average indoor radon above 4 pCi/L — EPA’s action level. Test your home.