Home hazard report for 90240 — Downey, CA
ZIP 90240 is served by Downey - City, Water Dept.: 1 violation since 2016, latest lead result 0 ppb, PFAS 44 ppt. Los Angeles County is in EPA radon zone 2.
Health-based violations since 2016: Revised Total Coliform 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. 8 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 3.4 miles away.
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Where ZIP 90240 is
Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Downey - City, Water Dept.
Health-based violations
| Contaminant or rule | Health-based violations since 2016 |
|---|---|
| Revised Total Coliform 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 Feb 2018.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFOS | 44 ppt | 10 of 10 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFPeA | 27 ppt | 10 of 10 | — |
| PFHxA | 21 ppt | 10 of 10 | — |
| PFOA | 15 ppt | 10 of 10 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFBA | 10 ppt | 8 of 10 | — |
| PFHxS | 8.9 ppt | 9 of 10 | — |
| PFBS | 8.9 ppt | 10 of 10 | — |
| PFHpA | 4.2 ppt | 4 of 10 | — |
| PFDA | not detected | 0 of 10 | — |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 10 | — |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 10 | — |
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 Los Angeles 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 low 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
| Site | Status | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Avenue Industrial Area South Gate, California · EPA ID CAN000905902 | Active (final NPL) | 3.4 mi |
| Jervis B. Webb Co. South Gate, California · EPA ID CAD008339467 | Active (final NPL) | 3.4 mi |
| Cooper Drum Company South Gate, California · EPA ID CAD055753370 | Active (final NPL) | 3.6 mi |
| Waste Disposal, Inc. Santa Fe Springs, California · EPA ID CAD980884357 | Active (final NPL) | 3.6 mi |
| Pemaco Maywood Maywood, California · EPA ID CAD980737092 | Active (final NPL) | 3.7 mi |
| Omega Chemical Corporation Whittier, California · EPA ID CAD042245001 | Active (final NPL) | 4.5 mi |
| Operating Industries, Inc., Landfill Monterey Park, California · EPA ID CAT080012024 | Active (final NPL) | 5.4 mi |
| Exide Technologies - Vernon Vernon, California · EPA ID CAD097854541 | Proposed | 5.5 mi |
| McColl Fullerton, California · EPA ID CAD980498695 | Active (final NPL) | 9.4 mi |
| San Gabriel Valley (Area 3) Alhambra, California · EPA ID CAD980818579 | Active (final NPL) | 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 90240
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 90240?
Downey - City, Water Dept. (EPA ID CA1910034), a groundwater (wells) system serving about 110,556 people.
Is there lead in Downey, CA 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 Downey, CA 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. 8 PFAS compounds detected.
Has the water system in 90240 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Revised Total Coliform Rule. All are listed as resolved.
What natural hazards affect ZIP 90240?
FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Relatively Moderate; the highest-rated hazards are earthquake (relatively high), heat wave (relatively low), riverine flooding (relatively low).
Are there Superfund sites near 90240?
The nearest active Superfund site is 3.4 miles away. Sites within 10 miles: Southern Avenue Industrial Area (3.4 mi, Active (final NPL)); Jervis B. Webb Co. (3.4 mi, Active (final NPL)); Cooper Drum Company (3.6 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in Los Angeles County?
Los Angeles 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.