Home hazard report for 19803 — Wilmington, DE
ZIP 19803 is served by Wilmington Water Department: 1 violation since 2016, latest lead result 0 ppb, PFAS 9.9 ppt. New Castle County is in EPA radon zone 2.
Health-based violations since 2016: Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule. All are listed as resolved.
90th-percentile lead in the latest round (Jan 2021). 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. 6 PFAS compounds detected.
Predicted average indoor radon between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Test your home; many homes here exceed 4 pCi/L.
FEMA’s overall natural-hazard risk for this census tract, relative to the rest of the U.S.
The nearest active Superfund site is 5.6 miles away.
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Where ZIP 19803 is
Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Wilmington Water Department
Health-based violations
| Contaminant or rule | Health-based violations since 2016 |
|---|---|
| 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 Oct 2017.
Full record for Wilmington Water Department →
Other systems overlapping this ZIP: Veolia Water Delaware, INC.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFPeA | 32.2 ppt | 8 of 8 | — |
| PFHxA | 21.1 ppt | 8 of 8 | — |
| PFBA | 14.1 ppt | 7 of 8 | — |
| PFOA | 9.9 ppt | 8 of 8 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFHpA | 8.4 ppt | 5 of 8 | — |
| PFBS | 3.6 ppt | 4 of 8 | — |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFOS | not detected | 0 of 8 | 4 ppt MCL |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFDA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFHxS | 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 New Castle County
EPA radon zone 2 — moderate potential. Predicted average indoor radon between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Test your home; many homes here exceed 4 pCi/L.
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 relatively 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Halby Chemical Co. New Castle, Delaware · EPA ID DED980830954 | Active (final NPL) | 5.6 mi |
| NL Industries Pedricktown, New Jersey · EPA ID NJD061843249 | Active (final NPL) | 6.9 mi |
| E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc. (Newport Pigment Plant Landfill) Newport, Delaware · EPA ID DED980555122 | Active (final NPL) | 7.3 mi |
| Metro Container Corporation Trainer, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD044545895 | Active (final NPL) | 7.8 mi |
| Koppers Co., Inc. (Newport Plant) Newport, Delaware · EPA ID DED980552244 | Active (final NPL) | 7.9 mi |
| Hockessin Groundwater Hockessin, Delaware · EPA ID DEN000303920 | Active (final NPL) | 8.2 mi |
| New Castle Spill New Castle County, Delaware · EPA ID DED058980442 | Cleaned up & deleted | 9.0 mi |
| Wade (ABM) Chester, Pennsylvania · EPA ID PAD980539407 | Cleaned up & deleted | 9.0 mi |
| East Basin Road Groundwater New Castle, Delaware · EPA ID DEN000304044 | Active (final NPL) | 9.2 mi |
| New Castle Steel New Castle County, Delaware · EPA ID DED980705255 | Cleaned up & deleted | 10.0 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.
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 19803
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 19803?
Wilmington Water Department (EPA ID DE0000663), a surface water (rivers, lakes) system serving about 107,976 people.
Is there lead in Wilmington, DE tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2021) 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 Wilmington, DE 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. 6 PFAS compounds detected.
Has the water system in 19803 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule. All are listed as resolved.
What natural hazards affect ZIP 19803?
FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Relatively Low; the highest-rated hazards are riverine flooding (relatively high), winter weather (relatively high), cold wave (relatively moderate).
Are there Superfund sites near 19803?
The nearest active Superfund site is 5.6 miles away. Sites within 10 miles: Halby Chemical Co. (5.6 mi, Active (final NPL)); NL Industries (6.9 mi, Active (final NPL)); E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc. (Newport Pigment Plant Landfill) (7.3 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in New Castle County?
New Castle County is in EPA radon zone 2 (moderate potential). Predicted average indoor radon between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Test your home; many homes here exceed 4 pCi/L.