Have you found radon in the water of your home? Maybe you are selling, and the buyer’s home inspector discovered it through a water test.
Nobody likes the idea of radioactive gasses seeping into their home. Unfortunately, radon can be pretty dangerous and is surprisingly common.
However, there are several ways to protect you and your loved ones from this naturally occurring hazard.
The health risks of radon make it worthwhile to educate yourself about what radon is, how you detect it in your well water, and the mitigation options available to protect your home.
After being in the real estate business for the past thirty-eight years, It’s a realization that most people have no idea that radon can be found in private water.
It becomes readily apparent when working with clients buying or selling a home. Many inexperienced real estate agents will fail to have their clients test for radon. This can be a significant mistake.
When meeting with a seller, I always inform them of the most common inspections a buyer will have when purchasing a home.
If the seller has a well, a large percentage of the time, the buyer will have the well-tested for the quality and quantity.
However, most of the time, the standard quality testing for well water does not include scanning for radon. This is something you have to ask to get explicitly tested.
Testing For Radon
A good buyer’s agent will recommend their client do this as part of the home inspection process.
When selling a home, it is a good idea to be prepared for the buyer’s home inspection. If the home inspection reveals radon’s presence in the well water, it is generally accepted that the seller will address this issue.
In real estate, however, nothing is cast in stone. You could find yourself in a transaction where the seller is a stubborn coot and doesn’t agree to mitigate the issue.
If this is the case, you must understand how to remove radon from water. It is not all that difficult to pull radon from water. It is just not that cheap to remedy!
First, you must know what radon is and what it can do to you. Let’s examine everything you should know about radon in water.
Noteworthy Facts and Statistics
1. Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that occurs naturally in the environment.
2. Radon can dissolve into water sources such as wells and underground reservoirs.
3. Exposure to high radon levels in drinking water can increase the risk of lung cancer.
4. Testing for radon in water can be done using specific devices or by sending samples to a laboratory.
5. Proper mitigation systems, such as aeration or activated carbon filtration, can effectively remove radon from water sources.6. Studies suggest that approximately 15% of homes in high radon areas have elevated radon levels in their water.
7. The average concentration of radon in water from private wells is reported to be around 2,400 picocuries per liter (pCi/L).
8. Research indicates that showering with radon-contaminated water can lead to inhalation exposure. It accounts for about 10% of radon-related lung cancer cases.
9. It is estimated that up to 25% of indoor radon comes from radon in water sources.
What is Radon?
Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, and tasteless environmental gas. It is produced by the decay of radium, a radioactive element found in certain rocks and soils. It is the radioactive decay that creates the gases.
The breakdown of uranium also creates radon gas. Many people are surprised to discover just how prevalent uranium is. It can be found in the groundwater, rock, and soil surrounding many homes in the United States. How much uranium is present and radon is produced will vary widely from place to place.
Radon can enter homes and other buildings through cracks in the foundation, gaps around pipes, and additional entry points. It can also be present in water from wells and other sources.
Radon concentrations are highest in the basement, where most will enter.
I often hear my clients say, “My neighbors sold their home and did not find any radon, so I know I don’t have any either. This statement is 100 percent false! First of all, everyone has radon in their homes.
It is just a question of how much and if you fall under what the EPA considers passable for health purposes. Homeowners should know the health effects can be substantial when radon contamination is high.
Your Radon Levels Can Be High Even if Your Neighbors Are Low
It is essential to understand that just because your neighbor has a passing radon level does not mean you will have the same results. Radon is found in pockets. The gas could easily be more prevalent in your home even though your neighbors have passed.
Radon is not something you should take lightly. The buyer certainly won’t! Radon is one of the top home inspection problems to avoid. If you will be selling your home and have never tested either the air or water, it wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Some buyers will pass on a home where radon is discovered even if you agree to rectify the problem.
A few years ago, I was selling a home in Upton, Massachusetts, and the seller remembered that he might have had a failing radon test when he purchased his home years prior. I asked him if he could find the records from when he bought to see exactly the level.
If it were close to the 4.0 pCi/L requirement, I would have suggested seeing what happens when the buyer does their test, as levels can fluctuate over time. However, if the test significantly exceeded the requirement, one would assume it would fail again.
What Are The Health Risks of Radon Exposure?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, radon causes thousands of deaths yearly in the U.S. The gas is radioactive but has no smell or taste, making it invisible to our senses. If the concentrations in the air are high enough, radon will cause lung cancer.
The EPA says that the only thing responsible for more lung cancer deaths than radon is cigarette smoke.
Of course, if you smoke and are breathing in radon, your risk of developing lung cancer becomes much higher.
Is Radon in Water Dangerous?
The presence of radon in water can pose a potential health risk. Radon can be released into the air when water is used for showering, washing dishes, and laundry.
When radon is inhaled, it can damage the cells in the lungs, increasing the risk of lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer from radon exposure depends on the level of radon in the water, the amount of water used, and other sources of radon in the indoor environment.
While radon in water can be a concern, the level of risk varies depending on factors such as the concentration of radon, the amount of water used, and the ventilation in the home.
In areas where radon is known to be present in the water supply, testing can be done to determine the radon levels. Appropriate measures can be taken to reduce exposure.
Treatment options such as aeration and granular activated carbon systems can remove radon from water. These mitigation systems reduce the potential health risks associated with its presence.
In conclusion, radon in water can be dangerous, mainly when it is released into the air and inhaled. Individuals must be aware of the potential risks associated with radon in water. It is advisable to take appropriate measures to test and mitigate its presence in homes and other indoor environments.
Regular testing and proper treatment can help minimize the health risks associated with radon exposure. It will help ensure a safer and healthier living environment.
How Many People Die From Radon in The Water?
Well water, in particular, can become contaminated with radon. The EPA indicates that about 168 people die each year from cancer caused by drinking water containing radon—a deficient number.
The majority of these deaths – 89% – occur from lung cancer as the radon is released into the air from the water. The other 11% of deaths arise from stomach cancer related to ingesting the water.
Most scientists and those in public health agencies believe that health risks from direct consumption of private water are generally of minor significance.
Day-to-day air breathing provides the most significant exposure to radioactivity. There is a constant exposure when breathing air vs. infrequent drinking water ingestion.
The risk of dying from lung cancer resulting from airborne radon is estimated to be 1-2% for each 4 pCi/L of lifetime exposure.
For drinking water, it is estimated that there is an additional lifetime risk of dying from cancer (mainly stomach cancer) of 1-2% per 20 to 40 thousand pCi/L in the water, depending on house size and ventilation.
These radon risk estimates, however, should be viewed with some caution. The estimates are based on assumed projections of high-level radiation risks to low-level risks.
In the case of radon in the air, the lifetime exposure assumes 60 years and 100 years in a closed home. The reality, however, is that people spend time outside or away from their homes.
Additionally, radon exposure is reduced when windows or bedrooms are opened in the summer or during sleeping hours.
It should be noted that failing radon levels are far more prevalent in the air than in water in our homes.
How Do You Test For Radon in Well Water?
We are lucky to live in a time when the dangers of radon exposure in the home are well understood. Testing your well water system is easy and usually inexpensive – even free in some areas. The cost of a private well inspection has a few parts. They include testing the quality, quantity, and equipment.
You’ll only check the quality so that the expense will be significantly less than the whole package.
The EPA recommends that people using wells for their water perform a radon test on the water.
Finding out whether there is radon in the water is not that difficult.
There is a Safe Drinking Water Hotline – 1-800-426-4791 – where you can find the phone number for your state’s laboratory certification office. This office usually has contact information for laboratories to test your water for radon.
Follow Lab Instructions to Avoid Contamination
Keep in mind that you should follow all the laboratory instructions for the collection of the well water. You want to ensure that the test sample you send them is appropriately gathered and arrives intact at the testing facility.
In Massachusetts, most home inspectors will provide well-quality testing as part of their services. They will take a sample of the water for you and send it to a lab for analysis. The testing generally takes around ten days to complete when the lab receives it.
However, remember that the standard battery of tests performed during a Massachusetts well test does not include radon. You must ask for your inspection to incorporate this as a separate screening! Over the years, I have seen numerous real estate agents representing buyers miss this aspect of the sale.
Whenever there is a well, it makes sense to test for the presence of radon. This will be one of the costs buyers have in purchasing a home. Nothing is more important than your health, so it is worth checking.
How Do You Remove Radon From Your Well Water?
What happens if you find radon in the water?
Although some devices can remove radon from your well water at the tap, these are not the recommended radon mitigation methods.
The best way to tackle the problem is by removing the radon before water enters your home. This way, all water sources in the house are free of radon, not just the ones you happen to filter.
There are two main types of radon removal methods for private well water. Let’s examine each of the treatment systems.
Granular Activated Carbon Mitigation System
Granular activated carbon (GAC): This filter is installed outside your home. It uses activated carbon to remove the radon from the water.
It can remove around 95% of the water’s radon, making it safe to use in your home.
Granular activated carbon systems have several advantages – they are usually inexpensive to install and maintain and are not prone to breakage due to the device’s simplicity.
However, there are some long-term challenges when using this type of system.
The longer the filter is in place, the more radioactive material is collected, meaning that disposing of the used filter may require special equipment and professional assistance.
When enough radioactive particles are present, the filter can be considered dangerous. The approximate cost of removing radon in water via the granular activated carbon method is about $1000-$2000.
Aeration Radon Mitigation System
Aeration – Because radon is a gas, it is possible to remove it from the water by simply blowing air through it and pushing the resulting vapor away from the home – typically through a pipe on the roof.
Usually, these aeration systems work by having an air source at the bottom of a water storage tank. The air source pushes air up through the tank and on through a vent pipe. Some units are available that utilize air when filling the tank as well.
Removing up to 99% of the radon from the well water is possible with the bottom air ventilation and the filling aeration.
An aeration system will typically cost more when you purchase and install it. Still, the long-term costs of owning it may be less because you will not need specialized disposal to remove radioactive filters. This is the preferred technology to use for radon reduction.
It is recommended that you test your water periodically after you install the radon removal system. You will want to verify that it is working as it should. The typical cost of removing radon from well water with an aeration system is approximately $3000-$6000.
Several Benefits of Radon Filtration
The health benefits of removing radon from your well water are apparent. The money you spend on a filtration system is not just beneficial for your health, though. If you ever decide to sell your home, you can expect buyers to question your home’s radon exposure.
The fact that you have addressed the problem beforehand will make your home more appealing to buyers and, therefore, easier to sell for a reasonable price. Few buyers will be willing to accept failing levels of radon in water.
It makes sense that you will want to address this issue for your family’s benefit and the ease with which you sell your home.
Final Thoughts
Finding radon in your home’s water is not a big deal. Fortunately, removing radon from water is relatively easy to do. After reading this guide on radon removal from water, you should better understand how to deal with the problem.
Understanding how to remove radon from the water will become a much bigger issue if discovered by a buyer purchasing your home.
Additional Helpful Articles
- Removing radon from drinking water – get additional helpful radon in the water removal information from The Environmental Protection Agency.
- Private drinking water wells – see even more information on what to know about private water from The Environmental Protection Agency.
Use these additional resources to make intelligent decisions when purchasing a home. There is nothing more important than being well-informed when buying a home. If you find radon in the water of the home you love, don’t panic, as it can be corrected!
About the Author: Bill Gassett, a nationally recognized leader in his field, provided information on what to know about radon in water, including removal. He is an expert in mortgages, financing, moving, home improvement, and general real estate.
Learn more about Bill Gassett and the publications he has been featured in. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-625-0191. Bill has helped people move in and out of Metrowest towns for the last 38+ years.
Are you thinking of selling your home? I am passionate about real estate and love sharing my marketing expertise!
I service Real Estate Sales in the following Metrowest MA towns: Ashland, Bellingham, Douglas, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton, and Uxbridge MA.
