Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

CONTAMINANT

Radium, combined (-226 and -228)

FOUND

Exceeding guidelines

STATES DETECTED

50

serves

160 million

utilities detected

20,475

states detected

51

serves

121 million

utilities detected

18,986

Overview

Radium is a radioactive element that causes bone cancer and other cancers. It can occur naturally in groundwater, and oil and gas extraction activities such as hydraulic fracturing can elevate concentrations. learn more about this contaminant

Radium releases radioactive particles that harm health in many ways, causing tumors in bone, lungs and other organs; leukemia; and skin and blood damage. Water utilities typically report radium amounts in picocuries per liter (pCi/L), which is a measure of radioactivity in water. The two most common forms of radium are radium-226 and radium-228. They may be reported separately or together.

Federal law allows up to 5 picocuries per liter of combined radium-226 and radium-228 in tap water. Research by the U.S. Geological Survey shows that in some regions of the country, such as the mid-continental region and North Atlantic coastal region, more than 20 percent of sampled wells have radium in levels exceeding the federal drinking water limit. And the legal limit does not equate safety: The EPA estimates that one in every 10,000 people drinking water containing radium at this level would develop cancer over a lifetime.

California set a public health goal much lower than the federal limit – 0.05 picocuries per liter of radium-226 and 0.019 picocuries per liter of radium-228, concentrations that are lower than the detection limit for most water tests.

Click here to read more on radiological contaminants.

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.05 pCi/L

EWG applied the health guideline of 0.05 pCi/L, defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal for radium-226, to radium-226 and radium-228 combined. This health guideline protects against cancer.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 5 pCi/L

The legal limit for combined radium-226 and radium-228, established in 1976, was based on costs for radium removal, as calculated at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to radium exposure.

pCi/L = picocuries per liter

National Standard Exists

Health Concerns:

  • Cancer

Want to remove
Radium, combined (-226 and -228) from your water?

Try these filter technologies:

Reverse Osmosis

Ion Exchange

understand filter technology

Radium, combined (-226 and -228) around the Country

UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State Utilities People Served Utilities People Served
California3024,680,06945530,046,189
Florida1,00415,077,7571,01215,299,948
Texas2,13014,834,3972,13614,860,147
Illinois1,0447,863,8901,0727,928,368
New York8555,514,1188925,881,902
New Jersey3605,356,2603645,383,689
Arizona1771,034,0602235,345,252
Virginia7172,635,8288724,940,554
Colorado6264,592,1046344,930,886
Maryland2324,508,4302494,564,427
Louisiana6063,282,7067394,457,702
Washington9183,921,0131,0684,231,185
Alabama3214,021,7643324,092,352
Utah3843,241,0784223,402,076
Indiana4773,179,4735203,306,930
Ohio3182,424,7493332,812,762
Nevada642,098,587702,597,811
Tennessee1262,471,9571472,591,436
Oklahoma4792,409,5074992,461,039
Pennsylvania2762,135,6272952,360,912
Minnesota4792,321,0384802,323,025
Wisconsin6922,187,4777172,260,660
Massachusetts1691,656,5751911,898,672
New Mexico3211,574,2964811,872,704
Iowa6611,429,0096701,478,624
North Carolina5591,432,0755691,440,628
Mississippi1281,349,8061351,373,217
Missouri4701,338,2024721,360,502
Arkansas2901,092,5103791,316,766
Kentucky1651,263,7121651,263,712
South Carolina191976,3782411,224,400
Nebraska4141,211,5484181,214,350
Idaho2611,091,9532961,200,739
Connecticut2281,068,0912341,069,172
West Virginia287901,972302924,672
District Of Columbia3847,3233847,323
Georgia386836,485388838,848
Delaware156805,712167818,366
Hawaii887,31112747,708
Michigan249634,628252636,694
Kansas245330,986254508,534
Maine191371,630209410,964
Wyoming147326,188155331,094
North Dakota55224,12661256,407
Montana275212,181323226,945
South Dakota136168,113136168,113
Vermont173120,540185135,533
New Hampshire89124,73194125,494
Rhode Island2019,69524120,953
Oregon82105,80486117,802
Alaska4053,5164254,146

Utilities with the highest amounts of radium, combined (-226 and -228), 2018-2023

ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
Utility Location Tests Average level People served
Patterson Valley Water CompanyRocky Ford, CO5 of 522.20 pCi/L96
South Council Creek 2Des Peres, TX15 of 1521.21 pCi/L111
Eureka Water CompanySwink, CO34 of 3417.94 pCi/L498
Council Creek VillageDes Peres, TX7 of 717.06 pCi/L333
South Swink Water CompanyLa Junta, CO70 of 7016.23 pCi/L607
Millersview-doole Water Supply Corporation*Millersview, TX8 of 815.84 pCi/L3,987
City of Paint RockPaint Rock, TX8 of 815.84 pCi/L275
South Silver Creek I II & IIIDes Peres, TX38 of 3815.58 pCi/L267
City of Brady Water System*Brady, TX129 of 12914.88 pCi/L5,371
Fayette Water CompanyManzanola, CO33 of 3314.40 pCi/L75
Vroman Water CompanyManzanola, CO34 of 3413.50 pCi/L125
Valley Water CompanyManzanola, CO79 of 7913.18 pCi/L270
May Valley WaWiley, CO171 of 17112.74 pCi/L1,500
West Grand Valley WaRocky Ford, CO20 of 2012.21 pCi/L100
Live Oak Hills SubdivisionDes Peres, TX32 of 3210.89 pCi/L65
Lakeland ServicesBrady, TX32 of 3210.77 pCi/L63
Gilford Village Water DistrictMonroe, NH2 of 210.00 pCi/L130
Summit/highlandsPrince Frederick, MD1 of 110.00 pCi/L1,108
Schreiber Water WorksPoughkeepsie, NY16 of 169.94 pCi/L80
Ripley County Public Water Supply District 1 WestDoniphan, MO10 of 109.89 pCi/L1,000
Tempe Water Supply Corporation 1Livingston, TX50 of 549.47 pCi/L2,856
Cheraw, Town ofCheraw, CO36 of 369.41 pCi/L254
Cassandra Water SystemMoriaty, NM28 of 288.90 pCi/L34
North Holbrook Water CompanyRocky Ford, CO35 of 358.90 pCi/L58
Riverside Water CompanyRocky Ford, CO28 of 288.70 pCi/L90
Lance Creek Water DistrictLance Creek, WY22 of 228.61 pCi/L45
Country Acres Mobile Home Park (la Salle County)Denver, IL39 of 448.42 pCi/L222
Hillsdale Garden ApartmentsHudson, NY1 of 18.30 pCi/L40
Big Plains Sw Special Service District - Cedar PointApple Valley, UT36 of 368.29 pCi/L232
Holbrook Center Soft WaLa Junta, CO35 of 358.10 pCi/L51
Rocky River Plantation S/d*Charlotte, NC3 of 38.07 pCi/L300
Mcmillian Acres S/dHarrisburg, NC3 of 38.07 pCi/L71
Willowbrook DevelopmentCharlotte, NC1 of 17.90 pCi/L435
Shiloh Water System (sc4320005)Sumter, SC1 of 17.84 pCi/L645
Crawfordville Water SystemAugusta, GA5 of 87.63 pCi/L624
Beehive Water Company No. 1Cheraw, CO74 of 747.37 pCi/L154
Annapolis PWSAnnapolis, MO3 of 47.05 pCi/L310
A and B Wa Inc.Holly, CO5 of 57.02 pCi/L100
Last Frontier SubdivisionHartwell, GA12 of 167.00 pCi/L52
Mill Pond CrossingExeter, NH1 of 17.00 pCi/L45
Cadgewith FarmsLansing, MI2 of 26.85 pCi/L344
Peak View Park LlcWoodland Park, CO25 of 276.77 pCi/L106
East End WaLa Junta, CO28 of 286.71 pCi/L70
Emerald EstatesHuntsville, TX26 of 306.64 pCi/L48
Craley Mobile Home ParkPalmyra, PA1 of 16.55 pCi/L35
Ozark County Public Water Supply District 1Theodosia, MO19 of 226.55 pCi/L243
Byron, Village ofByron, MI2 of 26.50 pCi/L581
Highland CourtWeatherford, TX33 of 336.34 pCi/L90
Palmetto ParkColumbia, SC1 of 16.31 pCi/L132
Delta Charter TownshipLansing, MI8 of 86.29 pCi/L21,856

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Radium, combined (-226 and -228), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Delta Charter TownshipLansing, MI8 of 86.29 pCi/L21,856
OtsegoOtsego, MN21 of 215.60 pCi/L18,493
AndoverAndover, MN23 of 255.41 pCi/L21,455
Perdido Bay Water, Sewer and Fire Protection AuthorityElberta, AL25 of 255.19 pCi/L10,824
Inver Grove Heights*Inver Grove Heights, MN12 of 134.78 pCi/L34,189
Fayetteville*Fayetteville, GA1 of 14.62 pCi/L15,281
FaribaultFaribault, MN12 of 124.56 pCi/L23,718
Wixom, City ofWixom, MI6 of 64.33 pCi/L13,928
North MankatoNorth Mankato, MN16 of 174.22 pCi/L14,448
Bountiful City Water SystemBountiful, UT135 of 1414.20 pCi/L37,500
RogersRogers, MN11 of 114.08 pCi/L12,000
LakevilleLakeville, MN7 of 73.96 pCi/L67,300
Waukesha Water UtilityWaukesha, WI264 of 2703.92 pCi/L70,718
SavageSavage, MN14 of 143.80 pCi/L30,285
London City Public Water SystemWest Chester, OH1 of 13.80 pCi/L10,256
Barnegat Twp Water SewerBarnegat, NJ15 of 153.69 pCi/L20,000
Fort Dodge Water Supply*Fort Dodge, IA60 of 713.68 pCi/L25,874
Spring Creek Utility DistrictThe Woodlands, TX2 of 23.60 pCi/L11,733
WaycrossWaycross, GA4 of 43.57 pCi/L19,900
Western SpringsWestern Springs, IL9 of 93.55 pCi/L13,274
Burnsville*Burnsville, MN5 of 53.51 pCi/L61,747
Vadnais HeightsVadnais Heights, MN8 of 83.51 pCi/L13,270
RosemountRosemount, MN21 of 223.41 pCi/L22,445
WinonaWinona, MN25 of 273.38 pCi/L27,782
St Albans WaterSaint Albans, WV3 of 43.30 pCi/L13,696
Pingree GrovePingree Grove, IL35 of 353.29 pCi/L10,365
Houston County - Feagin Mill*Warner Robins, GA28 of 323.24 pCi/L92,971
Cassatt Water Kershaw-lee Company RWACassatt, SC63 of 633.21 pCi/L25,061
Artesian Water Company*Newark, DE154 of 1613.20 pCi/L301,000
YorkvilleYorkville, IL55 of 553.15 pCi/L23,000
City of Cape Coral*Cape Coral, FL2 of 23.15 pCi/L163,647
Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI51 of 513.15 pCi/L12,793
Beachwood Water DepartmentBeachwood, NJ8 of 83.14 pCi/L10,802
Red WingRed Wing, MN10 of 103.12 pCi/L16,459
South Saint PaulSouth St. Paul, MN15 of 183.11 pCi/L20,400
University of South FloridaTampa, FL1 of 13.10 pCi/L47,586
Woodmoor Water & Sanitation DistrictMonument, CO15 of 153.09 pCi/L17,694
Ottawa*Ottawa, IL63 of 703.09 pCi/L19,000
EdinaEdina, MN20 of 203.08 pCi/L53,494
SycamoreSycamore, IL92 of 963.05 pCi/L18,500
Butler County Water System Inc*Bowling Green, KY1 of 13.00 pCi/L14,256
Brookfield Water UtilityBrookfield, WI180 of 1802.99 pCi/L29,070
Belforest Water SystemDaphne, AL4 of 42.96 pCi/L17,268
Charlotte County Utilities / Burnt StorePunta Gorda, FL2 of 22.95 pCi/L10,582
Stoughton WaterworksStoughton, WI3 of 32.90 pCi/L12,698
Marion Municipal Water Department*Marion, IA10 of 112.89 pCi/L41,623
MinookaMinooka, IL35 of 352.87 pCi/L12,800
Parker WSD*Parker, CO42 of 422.84 pCi/L59,781
Mounds ViewMounds View, MN11 of 122.79 pCi/L13,250
East Windsor MUAEast Windsor Township, NJ8 of 112.77 pCi/L25,000

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Radium, combined (-226 and -228), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

Know the Standards

Understand EWG’s guidelines on contaminants in your water.

view ewg’s standards

Take Action

Interested in supporting other causes? Learn more about our ongoing campaigns and how you can make a difference.

LEARN MORE

Need help finding a filter?

Discover top-rated filters that protect your family from harmful contaminants.

GET THE GUIDE

We’re in this together

Donate today and join the fight to protect our environmental health.

DONATE TODAY

Protect your water

Sign our petition to protect PFAS drinking water standards

TAKE ACTION