How does radon get in water?
When the ground produces radon, it can dissolve and accumulate in water from underground sources (called ground water), such as wells. When water that contains radon is run for showering, washing dishes, cooking, and other uses, radon gas escapes from the water and goes into the air. Some radon also stays in the water.
Radon can be a concern if your drinking water comes from a well that draws from an underground source, though not all water from underground sources contains radon. If you get your water from a public water system that serves 25 or more year-around residents, you will receive an annual water quality report. These water quality reports include information on what is in your water, including radon if it has been tested.
Radon from lakes, rivers, and reservoirs (called surface water) is of much less concern. Most of the radon is released from the water before it enters the distribution system.
Does radon in drinking water pose a risk?
In most cases, radon entering the home through water will be a small source of risk compared with radon entering from the soil. The EPA estimates that indoor radon levels will increase by about 1 pCi/L for every 10,000 pCi/L of radon in water. Only about one to two percent of indoor radon in air comes from drinking water.
Based on a National Academy of Science report (link is external), the EPA estimates that radon in drinking water causes about 168 cancer deaths per year: 89 percent from lung cancer caused by breathing released to the indoor air from water and 11 percent from stomach cancer caused by consuming water containing radon.
Radon gas can enter the home through well water. It can be released into the air you breathe when water is used for showering and other household uses. Research suggests that swallowing water with high radon levels may pose risks, too, although risks from swallowing water containing radon are believed to be much lower than those from breathing air containing radon.
While radon in water is not a problem in homes served by most public water supplies, problems have been found in well water. If you've tested the air in your home and found a radon problem, and your water comes from a well, contact a lab certified to measure radiation in water to have your water tested. Call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline, (800) 426-4791, to get information on locating a certified lab.
If you're on a public water supply and are concerned that radon may be entering your home through the water, call your public water supplier.
