Water quality in Washington

Flood zones explained — what AE, X, and VE actually mean

Plain-English guide to FEMA flood-zone codes (A, AE, AH, V, VE, X, X-shaded). What the 1% and 0.2% annual-chance zones mean for your property and your insurance.

EPA Radon Zones — what 1, 2, and 3 mean and when you should test

EPA classifies every US county into Zone 1 (high), Zone 2 (moderate), or Zone 3 (low) for radon. Plain-English guide to the classifications and at-home testing.

EPA AQI categories explained — what 0–50 Good through 301–500 Hazardous mean

Plain-English guide to the six EPA Air Quality Index categories: 0–50 Good, 51–100 Moderate, 101–150 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 151–200 Unhealthy, 201–300 Very Unhealthy, 301–500 Hazardous — what each level means and who is at risk.

Lead and Copper Rule 2024 — the federal lead-pipe inventory mandate

The 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) require every US community water system to inventory and report lead service lines. Plain-English guide.