Home hazard report for 98446 — Tacoma, WA
ZIP 98446 is served by Nelson Ridge: no health-based violations since 2016, latest lead result 7.2 ppb, PFAS not tested. Pierce County is in EPA radon zone 3.
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
90th-percentile lead in the latest round (Jan 2020). Lead comes mostly from household plumbing and service lines, so individual homes can be higher.
This system was not part of EPA’s 2023–2025 nationwide PFAS testing (UCMR 5 covers systems serving over 3,300 people and a sample of smaller ones).
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.
The nearest active Superfund site is 4.9 miles away.
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Where ZIP 98446 is
Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Nelson Ridge
Health-based violations
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
Full record for Nelson Ridge →
Other systems overlapping this ZIP: Brookdale Owners Association, City of Tacoma Water Division, Summit Water & Supply Co.
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”)
This system was not part of EPA’s 2023–2025 nationwide PFAS testing (UCMR 5).
Radon in Pierce 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 Relatively Low, with very low social vulnerability and relatively moderate 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden Valley Landfill (Thun Field) Pierce County, Washington · EPA ID WAD980511539 | Active (final NPL) | 4.9 mi |
| McChord Air Force Base (Wash Rack/Treatment Area) Tacoma, Washington · EPA ID WA8570024200 | Cleaned up & deleted | 5.4 mi |
| Lakewood Lakewood, Washington · EPA ID WAD050075662 | Active (final NPL) | 6.5 mi |
| American Lake Gardens/McChord AFB Tacoma, Washington · EPA ID WAD980833065 | Active (final NPL) | 7.1 mi |
| Fort Lewis Logistics Center Tillicum, Washington · EPA ID WA7210090067 | Active (final NPL) | 7.7 mi |
| Commencement Bay, South Tacoma Channel Tacoma, Washington · EPA ID WAD980726301 | Active (final NPL) | 8.1 mi |
| Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats Pierce County, Washington · EPA ID WAD980726368 | Active (final NPL) | 9.5 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 98446
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 98446?
Nelson Ridge (EPA ID WA5306081), a groundwater (wells) system serving about 232 people.
Is there lead in Tacoma, WA tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2020) was 7.2 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 Tacoma, WA water have PFAS?
This system was not part of EPA’s 2023–2025 nationwide PFAS testing (UCMR 5 covers systems serving over 3,300 people and a sample of smaller ones).
Has the water system in 98446 had violations?
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
What natural hazards affect ZIP 98446?
FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Relatively Low; the highest-rated hazards are earthquake (relatively moderate), heat wave (relatively moderate), ice storm (relatively low).
Are there Superfund sites near 98446?
The nearest active Superfund site is 4.9 miles away. Sites within 10 miles: Hidden Valley Landfill (Thun Field) (4.9 mi, Active (final NPL)); McChord Air Force Base (Wash Rack/Treatment Area) (5.4 mi, Cleaned up & deleted); Lakewood (6.5 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in Pierce County?
Pierce 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.