Home hazard report for 98448 — Tacoma, WA
ZIP 98448 is served by Parkland Light & Water Company (as listed by the state): no health-based violations since 2016, latest lead result 2.4 ppb, PFAS 13.8 ppt. Pierce is in EPA radon zone 3.
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
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. 6 PFAS compounds detected.
Predicted average under 2 pCi/L — but any home can have high radon, so EPA still recommends a test.
Active or proposed Superfund (National Priorities List) sites near the center of this ZIP code.
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Where ZIP 98448 is
blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Parkland Light & Water Company
Health-based violations
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
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 | 13.8 ppt | 4 of 10 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFBS | 7.5 ppt | 3 of 10 | — |
| PFOA | 6.2 ppt | 3 of 10 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFPeA | 5.5 ppt | 2 of 10 | — |
| PFHxS | 4.7 ppt | 3 of 10 | — |
| PFHxA | 3.6 ppt | 1 of 10 | — |
| PFDA | not detected | 0 of 10 | — |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 10 | — |
| PFHpA | not detected | 0 of 10 | — |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 10 | — |
| PFBA | 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 Pierce
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 →
Superfund sites nearby
| Site | Status | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Commencement Bay, South Tacoma Channel Tacoma, Washington · EPA ID WAD980726301 | Active (final NPL) | 1.7 mi |
| McChord Air Force Base (Wash Rack/Treatment Area) Tacoma, Washington · EPA ID WA8570024200 | Cleaned up & deleted | 4.5 mi |
| Lakewood Lakewood, Washington · EPA ID WAD050075662 | Active (final NPL) | 4.6 mi |
| Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats Pierce County, Washington · EPA ID WAD980726368 | Active (final NPL) | 5.2 mi |
| American Lake Gardens/McChord AFB Tacoma, Washington · EPA ID WAD980833065 | Active (final NPL) | 6.0 mi |
| Fort Lewis Logistics Center Tillicum, Washington · EPA ID WA7210090067 | Active (final NPL) | 6.8 mi |
| Fort Lewis (Landfill No. 5) Tacoma, Washington · EPA ID WA9214053465 | Cleaned up & deleted | 9.2 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 98448
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 98448?
Parkland Light & Water Company (EPA ID WA5366200), a groundwater (wells) system serving about 33,775 people, listed by the state as serving this ZIP code.
Is there lead in Tacoma, WA tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2021) was 2.4 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?
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. 6 PFAS compounds detected.
Has the water system in 98448 had violations?
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
Are there Superfund sites near 98448?
Active or proposed Superfund (National Priorities List) sites near the center of this ZIP code. Sites within 10 miles: Commencement Bay, South Tacoma Channel (1.7 mi, Active (final NPL)); McChord Air Force Base (Wash Rack/Treatment Area) (4.5 mi, Cleaned up & deleted); Lakewood (4.6 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in Pierce?
Pierce 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.