Uranium in Water

Uranium occurs naturally in some bedrock and groundwater.  Because of this some wells are susceptible to uranium contamination. 

The US EPA sets the standards for public drinking water.  These standards are known as the Safe Drinking Water Limits.  The limits for many chemicals and contaminants are health-based limits calculated by assuming that a person drinks two liters of water a day for 70 years.  The safe limits are known as Maximum Contamination Limits or MCL’s.  EPA considers water above the MCL as being unsafe.  The MCL for uranium in public drinking water is 30 micrograms per liter (30 ug/L).  The MDEQ Drinking Water Lab reports the same MCL as 0.03 milligrams per liter (0.03 mg/L).  The MCL for uranium was established because of its toxicity as a heavy metal which may result in kidney damage over time.  There may also be a small increase in cancer risk over the course of a lifetime.  The EPA has estimated that the additional lifetime cancer risk associated with drinking water that contains 30 ug/L (the MCL for uranium) is about 1 person in 10,000 who drinks two liters of uranium-contaminated water a day for 70 years.  Bathing and showering with water that contains uranium is not a health concern.

Connecticut Building Check, LLC provides comprehensive water testing report if requested.  Water quantity and water quality are not tested unless explicitly contracted-for.