Home hazard report for 50073 — Elkhart, IA
ZIP 50073 is served by Des Moines Water Works: 1 violation since 2016, latest lead result 0 ppb, PFAS not detected. Polk County is in EPA radon zone 1.
Health-based violations since 2016: Surface Water Treatment Rule. All are listed as resolved.
90th-percentile lead in the latest round (Jan 2022). Lead comes mostly from household plumbing and service lines, so individual homes can be higher.
None of the tested PFAS were found above EPA’s reporting limits in 2023–2025.
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.
No active Superfund site within 10 miles of the ZIP center.
Active weather alerts
live from the National Weather ServiceChecking the National Weather Service…
Where ZIP 50073 is
Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Des Moines Water Works
Health-based violations
| Contaminant or rule | Health-based violations since 2016 |
|---|---|
| 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 May 2017.
Full record for Des Moines Water Works →
Other systems overlapping this ZIP: Elkhart Water Supply.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 12 | — |
| PFBA | not detected | 0 of 12 | — |
| PFPeA | not detected | 0 of 12 | — |
| PFDA | not detected | 0 of 12 | — |
| PFOA | not detected | 0 of 12 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFHpA | not detected | 0 of 12 | — |
| PFHxA | not detected | 0 of 12 | — |
| PFBS | not detected | 0 of 12 | — |
| PFOS | not detected | 0 of 12 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 12 | — |
| PFHxS | not detected | 0 of 12 | — |
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 Polk 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 low social vulnerability and very 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
No site on EPA’s Superfund National Priorities List lies within 10 miles of the center of this ZIP code.
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 50073
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 50073?
Des Moines Water Works (EPA ID IA7727031), a surface water (rivers, lakes) system serving about 246,055 people.
Is there lead in Elkhart, IA tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2022) 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 Elkhart, IA water have PFAS?
None of the tested PFAS were found above EPA’s reporting limits in 2023–2025.
Has the water system in 50073 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Surface Water Treatment Rule. All are listed as resolved.
What natural hazards affect ZIP 50073?
FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Relatively Moderate; the highest-rated hazards are drought (relatively high), riverine flooding (relatively high), strong wind (relatively high).
Are there Superfund sites near 50073?
No active Superfund site within 10 miles of the ZIP center.
Is radon a problem in Polk County?
Polk County is in EPA radon zone 1 (highest potential). Predicted average indoor radon above 4 pCi/L — EPA’s action level. Test your home.