Fairbanks, AK Water Quality (ZIP 99702)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 99702 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 99702's water at an average of 4.87 ppt across 4 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 99702? 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 99702 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water systems serving ZIP 99702 (Fairbanks, AK). Monitoring found a peak of 8.8 ppt across 2 systems, averaging 4.87 ppt over 4 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 99702

• PFHXS: 8.8 ppt
• PFOA: 5.4 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
• PFHXA: 3.7 ppt
• PFPEA: 3.3 ppt

Lead in ZIP 99702 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 11 lead samples for the systems serving 99702, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.0039 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.

EPA Violations Affecting ZIP 99702

The water systems serving 99702 have 2 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record, including Ground Water Rule, Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

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 99702. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national drinking water survey in US history.

Beyond water: other exposures in Fairbanks, AK

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 99702 and Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK.

Radon risk in Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK

The EPA places Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK 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 Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK

Census figures show 38% of homes in Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK were built before 1980, and 3% 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.

Superfund sites near 99702

There is 1 EPA Superfund (National Priorities List) site within about five miles of 99702: Eielson Air Force Base (about 1.4 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 99702

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 1 reporting facility within about five miles of 99702, together reporting roughly 180,946 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.