Fairbanks, AK Water Quality (ZIP 99703)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 99703 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 99703's water at an average of 3.83 ppt across 1 compound. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 99703? 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 99703 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water system serving ZIP 99703 (Fairbanks, AK). Monitoring found a peak of 4.3 ppt across 1 system, averaging 3.83 ppt over 1 detected compound. 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 99703

• PFHXS: 4.3 ppt

Lead in ZIP 99703 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 4 lead samples for the system serving 99703, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.0081 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 99703 in Fairbanks, AK.

Beyond water: other exposures in Fairbanks, AK

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 99703 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 99703

There is 1 EPA Superfund (National Priorities List) site within about five miles of 99703: Fort Wainwright (about 0.8 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 99703

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 2 reporting facilities within about five miles of 99703, together reporting roughly 323,461 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.