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Radionuclides in Private Wells
RadTown USA Topics
Natural Radiation:This page provides information on ways to test and treat private wells for radionuclides in the water.
On this page:
Overview
Approximately 15% of Americans rely on private drinking water supplies. Unlike public drinking water systems, wells generally are not routinely inspected. Therefore, these households must take special precautions to ensure the safety and quality of their drinking water supply.
Remember
Testing your home is the only way to determine radionuclide contamination!Drinking water with elevated levels of radium and uranium – which are found in virtually all rock, soil, and water – may cause cancer after several years. Drinking water with elevated concentrations of uranium may affect a person over a much shorter time period.
If purification filters, storage tanks, and associated piping begin to collect radioactive wastes in elevated concentrations, these materials may require disposal in off-site facilities licensed to receive and dispose of radioactive waste.
Radon is a radioactive gas. It occurs naturally and is produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. It can also dissolve into our water supply. As you shower or use your water for other household tasks, the gas can be released from the water into the air.
Who is protecting you
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Although EPA regulates public water systems, it does not have the authority to regulate private drinking water wells. However, under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA sets guidelines for radioactive contaminants that well owners can reference.
The States
Most states have established drinking water standards that implement EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act, enforce those standards, and establish monitoring programs.
What you can do to protect yourself
Test your well water for radiation contamination annually.
Radionuclides can be found in ground water using a gross alpha test. A gross alpha test measures the amount of alpha radiation from all radionuclides that may be present in the water. If a high level of radioactivity is found, additional tests are needed to identify which radionuclides are present.
All naturally occurring radioactivity can be treated.
Radium and uranium can both be treated using reverse osmosis.
- Reverse osmosis-squeezing water through a special membrane, which is a specialized filter. The membrane has microscopic holes, which are specially sized to allow relatively small water molecules to pass through, while trapping larger contaminants.
Radon can be removed from water by using one of two methods:
- Aeration treatment—spraying water or mixing it with air and then venting the air from the water before use, or
- GAC treatment—filtering water through carbon. Radon attaches to the carbon and leaves the water free of radon. Disposing the carbon may require special handling if it is used at a high radon level or if it has been used for a long time.
Filters for drinking water purification can concentrate radionuclides in elevated amounts. Contact your well or water treatment system supplier or serviceman to discuss periods between filter changes, and disposal of used filters.
Resources
| Clean Water
Act 13 March 2003 - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency This site gives an introduction to the Clean Water Act through a series of slides and accompanying text. |
| Drinking
water and health: What you need to know 31 October 1999 - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency This page provides information on EPA’s role in protecting drinking water. |
| Ground Water and
Drinking Water 30 June 2005 - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency This page is the gateway to EPA’s drinking water and ground water protection information. |
| Private
Drinking Water Wells 15 September 2005 - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency This site will help you address private drinking well issues like if your water is safe to drink, the health risks that you and your family face and where can you go for help or advice. |
| Radionuclides 15 September 2005 - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency This page contains links to fact sheets on radon, radium and uranium. |
Facts:
Private well testing
 31 July 1997. New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services This document offers information on contaminated private well water and gives steps to take to reduce the level of contaminants in private well water. |
| Radionuclides & Your
Well Water: A Homeowner’s Guide (PDF) (8pp,
119Kb )
3 March 2005. Department of Environmental Protection & Resource Management, Baltimore County, and the Maryland Department of Environment This document provides information on testing and treating domestic well water. |
| Radium
in Drinking Water
15 September 2005. Illinois Department of Public Health This page provides information on radium and radium in drinking water. |
| Radon
and Drinking Water from Private Wells (PDF) (2pp,
98Kb )
19 September 2003. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention This document offers information on radon, from what radon is to treatment methods to remove radon from drinking water. |
| Radon
in Private Well Water
28 January 2003. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources This page provides radon facts, including radon in the home, the ground and the water. |
| State Environmental
Protection Division Listing
23 June 2005. Clay.net Environmental Professional This site lists links to the state environmental protection department websites. |
| When
should I test my well water?
28 March 2003. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources This page offers information about testing well water for contaminants. |