Scottsdale, AZ Water Quality (ZIP 85254)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 85254 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 85254's water at an average of 0.01 ppt across 2 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 85254? A reverse osmosis system (NSF/ANSI 58) removes 90%+ of PFAS, lead, and arsenic. For smaller households, an NSF-53 certified pitcher (Clearly Filtered, ZeroWater) works. Standard Brita cartridges are not certified for PFAS.

ZIP 85254 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water systems serving ZIP 85254 (Scottsdale, AZ). Monitoring found a peak of 0.02 ppt across 2 systems, averaging 0.01 ppt over 2 detected compounds.

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

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 85254

• PFBS: 0.02 ppt
• PFBA: 0.01 ppt

Lead in ZIP 85254 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 18 lead samples for the systems serving 85254, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.0654 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.

EPA Violations Affecting ZIP 85254

The water systems serving 85254 has 1 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violation on record, including Nitrate. A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

About the Data

Source: EPA UCMR5 monitoring (2023-2025), Lead and Copper Rule samples, and SDWIS violation records tied to the water system that serves 85254 in Scottsdale, AZ.

Beyond water: other exposures in Scottsdale, AZ

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 85254 and Maricopa County, AZ.

Radon risk in Maricopa County, AZ

The EPA places Maricopa County, AZ in Zone 2 - a moderate-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level between 2 and 4 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 Maricopa County, AZ

Census figures show 30% of homes in Maricopa County, AZ were built before 1980, and 2% 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 Maricopa County, AZ

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) for Maricopa County, AZ averages 7.6 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.

Industrial releases near 85254

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 1 reporting facility within about five miles of 85254, together reporting roughly 58,268 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.