Gross alpha in well water
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private wells tested in Camden County, New Jersey had gross alpha above the limit, the highest share of any county, according to NJDEP Private Well Testing Act summaries.
Gross alpha is a screening test for radioactive elements in water, mainly radium and uranium from granite bedrock. A high result means one of those is present and the specific test should follow. Alpha emitters raise cancer risk when swallowed over years.
- EPA limit
- 15 pCi/L (EPA MCL for gross alpha particle activity, excluding radon and uranium (40 CFR 141.66))
- New Jersey level
- 15 pCi/L
Check your gross alpha number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your own well for gross alpha
Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.
Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report
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Systems that remove gross alpha
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Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
For gross alpha
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
Rather have it installed and sized for your well? Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company.
Where gross alpha is worst, by homeowner tests
Counties ranked by the share of private wells above the state guidance level in tests homeowners sent to the state lab. Shares combine town summaries, weighted by wells tested.
| County | Above state level | Wells tested | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden County, New Jersey | 3,566 | ||
| Cumberland County, New Jersey | 8,308 | ||
| Salem County, New Jersey | 4,950 | ||
| Middlesex County, New Jersey | 325 | ||
| Gloucester County, New Jersey | 9,041 | ||
| Sussex County, New Jersey | 5,030 | ||
| Passaic County, New Jersey | 1,710 | ||
| Orleans County, Vermont | 375 | 395 pCi/L | |
| Atlantic County, New Jersey | 7,740 | ||
| Rutland County, Vermont | 879 | 281 pCi/L | |
| Burlington County, New Jersey | 11,690 | ||
| Chittenden County, Vermont | 2,624 | 2,670 pCi/L | |
| Somerset County, New Jersey | 2,111 | ||
| Bennington County, Vermont | 280 | 295 pCi/L | |
| Franklin County, Vermont | 1,249 | 216 pCi/L |
By individual samples
Counties with at least 30 individual samples in public monitoring data, against the EPA limit.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego County, California | 53 | 100% | 9.25 pCi/L | |
| Duval County, Texas | 46 | 78% | 9 pCi/L | |
| Live Oak County, Texas | 37 | 70% | 4.4 pCi/L | |
| Dawson County, Texas | 30 | 77% | 8.2 pCi/L | |
| Matagorda County, Texas | 34 | 68% | 5.05 pCi/L | |
| Lavaca County, Texas | 37 | 57% | 2.8 pCi/L | |
| Gillespie County, Texas | 31 | 61% | 4.27 pCi/L | |
| Colorado County, Texas | 37 | 51% | 2.7 pCi/L | |
| San Saba County, Texas | 38 | 53% | 2.1 pCi/L | |
| Erath County, Texas | 47 | 66% | 3.4 pCi/L | |
| Wharton County, Texas | 33 | 64% | 2.7 pCi/L | |
| Tehama County, California | 223 | <1% | 0 pCi/L | |
| Lipscomb County, Texas | 34 | 74% | 2.74 pCi/L | |
| Monterey County, California | 78 | 14% | 0 pCi/L |
How to test
Use a state-certified lab and a proper sampling bottle; hardware-store strips cannot measure gross alpha at the levels that matter. Collect from the kitchen tap before any treatment, and again after treatment if you install it.
How to treat
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis
- Water softener (cation exchange) for radium
- Anion exchange for uranium