Newport News, VA Water Quality (ZIP 23604)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 23604 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 23604's water at an average of 0 ppt across 3 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 23604? Match the filter to the data: reverse osmosis handles PFAS, lead, and arsenic together; NSF-53 pitchers cover the taps you drink from. A basic Brita pitcher will not remove PFAS.

ZIP 23604 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water system serving ZIP 23604 (Newport News, VA). Monitoring found a peak of 0 ppt across 1 system, averaging 0 ppt over 3 detected compounds.

Contamination Level: LOW – Low contamination – PFAS detected but at lower levels; monitoring continues.

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 23604

• PFHXS: 0 ppt
• PFHXA: 0 ppt
• PFPEA: 0 ppt

Lead in ZIP 23604 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 8 lead samples for the system serving 23604, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.0179 mg/L (above the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; homes built before 1986 should use a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead filter.

About the Data

These figures come from EPA UCMR5 (2023-2025) plus Lead and Copper Rule and SDWIS records for the public water system serving ZIP 23604. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national drinking water survey in US history.

Beyond water: other exposures in Newport News, VA

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 23604 and Newport News city, VA.

Radon risk in Newport News city, VA

The EPA places Newport News city, VA in Zone 3 - the EPA's lowest-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level below 2 pCi/L. Zone maps predict the radon potential of an area from geology and existing indoor readings - they do not describe any individual home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked, and the only way to know your own level is a test kit.

Lead paint risk in Newport News city, VA

Census figures show 51% of homes in Newport News city, VA were built before 1980, and 9% before 1950. Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, so older housing stock is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This is a statistic about the county's housing, not a test of any particular property - if your home predates 1980, a lead swab test is the way to check.

Air quality in Newport News city, VA

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) for Newport News city, VA averages 6.9 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual PM2.5 standard of 9 µg/m³. PM2.5 is the pollution fraction small enough to reach deep into the lungs. These are CDC modelled estimates for the county as a whole, not a reading taken at this ZIP code.

Superfund sites near 23604

There is 1 EPA Superfund (National Priorities List) site within about five miles of 23604: Fort Eustis (US Army) (about 0.4 miles). Distances are measured from the ZIP code's geographic centre, so the distance from a specific address will differ. Proximity to a listed site is a fact about location - it is not itself evidence of exposure.

Industrial releases near 23604

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 1 reporting facility within about five miles of 23604, together reporting roughly 9,626 pounds of on-site chemical releases that year. TRI covers facilities above federal reporting thresholds, so smaller sources are not included, and a reported release is not the same as a measured concentration in air or water.