Columbus, IN Water Quality (ZIP 47201)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 47201 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 47201's water at an average of 7.88 ppt across 7 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 47201? 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 47201 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water systems serving ZIP 47201 (Columbus, IN). Monitoring found a peak of 16.3 ppt across 4 systems, averaging 7.88 ppt over 7 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: LOW – Low contamination – PFAS detected but at lower levels; monitoring continues.

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 47201

• PFPEA: 16.3 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
• PFOA: 12.9 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
• PFOS: 10.5 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
• PFBS: 9.6 ppt
• PFBA: 9.2 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)

Lead in ZIP 47201 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 21 lead samples for the systems serving 47201, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.0046 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 47201 in Columbus, IN.

Beyond water: other exposures in Columbus, IN

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 47201 and Bartholomew County, IN.

Radon risk in Bartholomew County, IN

The EPA places Bartholomew County, IN in Zone 1 - the EPA's highest-risk category, where the predicted average indoor radon level is above 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 Bartholomew County, IN

Census figures show 54% of homes in Bartholomew County, IN were built before 1980, and 14% 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 Bartholomew County, IN

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) for Bartholomew County, IN averages 7.7 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.

Superfund sites near 47201

There is 1 EPA Superfund (National Priorities List) site within about five miles of 47201: Garden City Ground Water Plume (about 3.8 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 47201

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 5 reporting facilities within about five miles of 47201, together reporting roughly 245,856 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.