Home hazard report for 98178 — Seattle, WA
ZIP 98178 is served by Seattle Public Utilities: no health-based violations since 2016, latest lead result 1.6 ppb, PFAS not detected. King County is in EPA radon zone 3.
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
90th-percentile lead in the latest round (Jan 2025). 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 under 2 pCi/L — but any home can have high radon, so EPA still recommends a test.
FEMA’s overall natural-hazard risk for this census tract, relative to the rest of the U.S.
Active or proposed Superfund (National Priorities List) sites near the center of this ZIP code.
Active weather alerts
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Where ZIP 98178 is
Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Seattle Public Utilities
Health-based violations
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
Full record for Seattle Public Utilities →
Other systems overlapping this ZIP: Skyway Water & Sewer, City of Renton, Tukwila Water Department.
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 | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFHxA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFBS | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFHpA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFHxS | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFOS | not detected | 0 of 8 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFOA | not detected | 0 of 8 | 4 ppt MCL |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFPeA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFDA | 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 King County
EPA radon zone 3 — low potential. Predicted average under 2 pCi/L — but any home can have high radon, so EPA still recommends a test.
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 Very High, with relatively high 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
| Site | Status | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Duwamish Waterway Seattle, Washington · EPA ID WA0002329803 | Active (final NPL) | 2.4 mi |
| Pacific Car & Foundry Co. Renton, Washington · EPA ID WAD009249210 | Active (final NPL) | 2.4 mi |
| Quendall Terminals Renton, Washington · EPA ID WAD980639215 | Active (final NPL) | 3.2 mi |
| Western Processing Co., Inc. Kent, Washington · EPA ID WAD009487513 | Active (final NPL) | 5.1 mi |
| Harbor Island (Lead) Seattle, Washington · EPA ID WAD980722839 | Active (final NPL) | 7.5 mi |
| Seattle Municipal Landfill (Kent Highlands) Kent, Washington · EPA ID WAD980639462 | Active (final NPL) | 7.6 mi |
| Lockheed West Seattle Seattle, Washington · EPA ID WAN001002655 | Active (final NPL) | 8.0 mi |
| Pacific Sound Resources Seattle, Washington · EPA ID WAD009248287 | Active (final NPL) | 8.1 mi |
| Midway Landfill Kent, Washington · EPA ID WAD980638910 | Active (final NPL) | 8.5 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 98178
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 98178?
Seattle Public Utilities (EPA ID WA5377050), a surface water (rivers, lakes) system serving about 1,161,961 people.
Is there lead in Seattle, WA tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2025) was 1.6 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 Seattle, WA water have PFAS?
None of the tested PFAS were found above EPA’s reporting limits in 2023–2025.
Has the water system in 98178 had violations?
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
What natural hazards affect ZIP 98178?
FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Very High; the highest-rated hazards are earthquake (very high), riverine flooding (very high), heat wave (relatively moderate).
Are there Superfund sites near 98178?
Active or proposed Superfund (National Priorities List) sites near the center of this ZIP code. Sites within 10 miles: Lower Duwamish Waterway (2.4 mi, Active (final NPL)); Pacific Car & Foundry Co. (2.4 mi, Active (final NPL)); Quendall Terminals (3.2 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in King County?
King County is in EPA radon zone 3 (low potential). Predicted average under 2 pCi/L — but any home can have high radon, so EPA still recommends a test.