Hoover, AL Water Quality (ZIP 35004)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 35004 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 35004's water at an average of 9.57 ppt across 6 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 35004? A reverse osmosis system (NSF/ANSI 58) removes 90%+ of PFAS, lead, and arsenic. For smaller households, a pitcher certified to NSF-53 for PFAS (ZeroWater, PUR PLUS) works. Standard Brita cartridges are not certified for PFAS.

ZIP 35004 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water systems serving ZIP 35004 (Hoover, AL). Monitoring found a peak of 24.3 ppt across 2 systems, averaging 9.57 ppt over 6 detected compounds. These levels come from individual EPA UCMR 5 water samples (2023-2025). The EPA's 4 ppt limit for PFOA and PFOS is enforced on a running annual average, so a sample above it shows real exposure but is not by itself a violation.

Contamination Level: MODERATE – Moderate contamination – PFAS detected at meaningful levels; filtration recommended.

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 35004

• PFBS: 24.3 ppt
• PFPEA: 17.6 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
• PFBA: 10 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
• PFHXA: 8.5 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
• 6:2 FTS: 5.8 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)

Lead in ZIP 35004 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 11 lead samples for the systems serving 35004, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.004 mg/L (within 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

Source: EPA UCMR5 monitoring (2023-2025), Lead and Copper Rule samples, and SDWIS violation records tied to the water system that serves 35004 in Hoover, AL.

Beyond water: other exposures in Hoover, AL

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 35004 and St. Clair County, AL.

Radon risk in St. Clair County, AL

The EPA places St. Clair County, AL 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 St. Clair County, AL

Census figures show 25% of homes in St. Clair County, AL were built before 1980, and 4% 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 St. Clair County, AL

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) for St. Clair County, AL averages 8.7 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 35004

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 3 reporting facilities within about five miles of 35004, together reporting roughly 45,870 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.