EPA data as of Oct 2026 · page updated 2026-10-29

Home hazard report for 39705 — Columbus, MS

ZIP 39705 is served by Columbus Light & Water: no health-based violations since 2016, latest lead result 0.5 ppb, PFAS not detected. Lowndes County is in EPA radon zone 2.

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Where ZIP 39705 is

Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoom
ZIP code areaZIP center Water utility service area PFOA/PFOS ≥ 4 ppt Lead > 15 ppb 5+ violations Superfund site (active) proposed cleaned up Circles: other water systems flagged nearby; size = people served. Tap any symbol for details.

Drinking water: Columbus Light & Water

EPA IDMS0440003
People served23,616
Sourcegroundwater (wells)
Connections10,553

Health-based violations

No health-based violations reported since 2016.

Full record for Columbus Light & Water →

Other systems overlapping this ZIP: East Lowndes W/A #2-Huckleberry, Columbus Air Force Base.

Lead

Jan 20220.5 ppb
Jan 20190.6 ppb
Jan 20160 ppb
Jan 20140 ppb
Jan 20110 ppb
Jan 20080.7 ppb
Jan 20050.7 ppb
Jan 20020.7 ppb

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”)

CompoundHighest resultSamples with detectionEPA limit
PFBSnot detected0 of 4—
PFDAnot detected0 of 4—
PFHpAnot detected0 of 4—
PFNAnot detected0 of 4—
PFHxSnot detected0 of 4—
PFOAnot detected0 of 44 ppt MCL
PFPeAnot detected0 of 4—
PFBAnot detected0 of 4—
PFOSnot detected0 of 44 ppt MCL
PFHxAnot detected0 of 4—
HFPO-DA (GenX)not detected0 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 Lowndes 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 Moderate, with relatively high social vulnerability and relatively moderate community resilience.

TornadoVery High
Cold waveRelatively High
LightningRelatively High
Strong windRelatively High
EarthquakeRelatively Moderate
HailRelatively Moderate
Heat waveRelatively Moderate
Ice stormRelatively Moderate
Riverine floodingRelatively Moderate
HurricaneRelatively Low
Winter weatherRelatively Low
DroughtVery Low
LandslideVery Low
WildfireVery Low

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

SiteStatusDistance
Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp - Columbus
Columbus, Mississippi · EPA ID MSD990866329
Active (final NPL)5.7 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.

Buying a home in Columbus? See the 2026 conforming, FHA and jumbo loan limits for Lowndes County →

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 39705

Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 39705?

Columbus Light & Water (EPA ID MS0440003), a groundwater (wells) system serving about 23,616 people.

Is there lead in Columbus, MS tap water?

The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2022) was 0.5 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 Columbus, MS water have PFAS?

None of the tested PFAS were found above EPA’s reporting limits in 2023–2025.

Has the water system in 39705 had violations?

No health-based violations reported since 2016.

What natural hazards affect ZIP 39705?

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Relatively Moderate; the highest-rated hazards are tornado (very high), cold wave (relatively high), lightning (relatively high).

Are there Superfund sites near 39705?

The nearest active Superfund site is 5.7 miles away. Sites within 10 miles: Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp - Columbus (5.7 mi, Active (final NPL)).

Is radon a problem in Lowndes County?

Lowndes 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.