Radium (combined 226/228) in drinking water
Natural radioactivity in deep aquifers, common in the upper Midwest. Limit 5 pCi/L.
Health: Increases bone cancer risk.
Across the US
378 community water systems had at least one health-based Radium (combined 226/228) violation since 2016. Routine Radium (combined 226/228) sample results are reported to states, not to EPA's national database, so this page ranks systems by violations rather than levels.
Most violations
| Water system | People | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| May Valley WA Water System | 1,500 | 194 |
| City of Brady Water System | 5,371 | 188 |
| Waukesha Water Utility | 70,718 | 94 |
| Beehive Water Association | 154 | 83 |
| Valley Water Company | 270 | 74 |
| South Swink Water Authority | 622 | 72 |
| Riverside Water Company | 90 | 42 |
| Highland Court Water System | 90 | 41 |
| Blue Ridge Mobile Home Park Water System | 75 | 41 |
| Millersview Doole Water Supply Corporation | 3,987 | 40 |
| Tempe Water Supply Corporation 1 | 2,725 | 40 |
| Council Creek Village Water System | 333 | 40 |
| South Silver Creek I II & III | 291 | 40 |
| South Council Creek 2 Water System | 111 | 40 |
| Sussex Village Hall & Water Utility | 11,750 | 39 |
| Arimak Water Supply | 105 | 39 |
| Live Oak Hills Subdivision | 65 | 39 |
| Cassandra Water System | 34 | 38 |
| Eureka Water Company | 498 | 37 |
| Vroman Water Company | 125 | 37 |
| Patterson Valley Water Company | 96 | 37 |
| Fayette Water Company | 75 | 37 |
| Lakeland Services | 63 | 36 |
| North Holbrook Water Company | 58 | 36 |
| East End WA Water System | 70 | 34 |
States with the most systems with violations
- Texas: 51
- Colorado: 41
- Illinois: 37
- Wisconsin: 32
- Georgia: 24
- Minnesota: 22
- North Carolina: 19
- New Hampshire: 17
- Missouri: 15
- Iowa: 12
- South Dakota: 10
- New Jersey: 9
Sources
The limits, health goals and health effects on this page come from these EPA sources. The results come from EPA's monitoring data for each water system.
- EPA: National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (limits and health effects table)
- EPA ECHO: Safe Drinking Water Information System data
This page summarizes public regulatory information. It is not medical advice. How we source and check this site.
Questions
How do I remove Radium (combined 226/228) from tap water?
See the filter guidance on this page: look for a product certified for Radium (combined 226/228) specifically, and check the claim in NSF's certified product listings.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.