Home hazard report for 88312 — Alto, NM
ZIP 88312 is served by Ruidoso Water System: 7 violations since 2016, latest lead result 2.3 ppb, PFAS 1 detected. Lincoln County is in EPA radon zone 2.
Health-based violations since 2016: TTHM, Carbon, Total, Surface Water Treatment Rule. All are listed as resolved.
90th-percentile lead in the latest round (Jan 2024). Lead comes mostly from household plumbing and service lines, so individual homes can be higher.
PFAS were detected, with PFOA and PFOS below 4.0 ppt (highest not 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.
No active Superfund site within 10 miles of the ZIP center.
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Where ZIP 88312 is
Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Ruidoso Water System
Health-based violations
| Contaminant or rule | Health-based violations since 2016 |
|---|---|
| TTHM | 4 |
| Carbon, Total | 2 |
| 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 Jan 2021.
Full record for Ruidoso Water System →
Other systems overlapping this ZIP: Alto Lakes Water and Sanitation District, CDS Rainmakers Util LLC Rancho Ruidoso.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFBA | 5.4 ppt | 1 of 11 | — |
| PFBS | not detected | 0 of 11 | — |
| PFHxA | not detected | 0 of 11 | — |
| PFDA | not detected | 0 of 11 | — |
| PFOA | not detected | 0 of 11 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFOS | not detected | 0 of 11 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 11 | — |
| PFHpA | not detected | 0 of 11 | — |
| PFHxS | not detected | 0 of 11 | — |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 11 | — |
| PFPeA | not detected | 0 of 11 | — |
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 Lincoln 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 High, with very high social vulnerability and very low 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 88312
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 88312?
Ruidoso Water System (EPA ID NM3513114), a surface water (rivers, lakes) system serving about 15,947 people.
Is there lead in Alto, NM tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2024) was 2.3 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 Alto, NM water have PFAS?
PFAS were detected, with PFOA and PFOS below 4.0 ppt (highest not detected).
Has the water system in 88312 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: TTHM, Carbon, Total, Surface Water Treatment Rule. All are listed as resolved.
What natural hazards affect ZIP 88312?
FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Relatively High; the highest-rated hazards are lightning (very high), riverine flooding (very high), wildfire (very high).
Are there Superfund sites near 88312?
No active Superfund site within 10 miles of the ZIP center.
Is radon a problem in Lincoln County?
Lincoln 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.