Gross alpha in Vermont well water

In Vermont, 6% of 12,345 private wells tested had gross alpha above the Vermont limit (15 pCi/L), according to the Vermont Department of Health.

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.

Check your gross alpha number

Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the Vermont limit and the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.

Test your Vermont 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 $209 Already tested? Upload the report

Affiliate links: the merchant pays us a commission and the price is the same for you. It does not change what the data above says.

Systems that remove gross alpha

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 to get a well tested for gross alpha in Vermont: certified labs, state programs and prices.

By county, from homeowner tests

Share of private wells above the state guidance level (15 pCi/L) in tests homeowners sent to the state lab, to .

County	Above state level	Wells tested	Highest
Orleans	11%	375	395 pCi/L
Rutland	11%	879	281 pCi/L
Chittenden	9%	2,624	2,670 pCi/L
Bennington	7%	280	295 pCi/L
Franklin	6%	1,249	216 pCi/L
Lamoille	5%	890	146 pCi/L
Addison	5%	1,051	80.7 pCi/L
Washington	4%	1,676	248 pCi/L
Caledonia	4%	463	72.5 pCi/L
Windham	3%	627	191 pCi/L
Windsor	2%	1,295	45.7 pCi/L
Orange	2%	714	40.9 pCi/L
Grand Isle	<1%	201	23.5 pCi/L

Towns with the highest share above the state level

Middletown Springs, Rutland County47% of 30 wells
Newport, Orleans County42% of 33 wells
Richford, Franklin County39% of 36 wells
St. George, Chittenden County36% of 62 wells
Westmore, Orleans County35% of 40 wells
Bakersfield, Franklin County24% of 42 wells
Castleton, Rutland County22% of 102 wells
Ripton, Addison County21% of 52 wells
Hubbardton, Rutland County21% of 34 wells
Peacham, Caledonia County19% of 47 wells
Marshfield, Washington County18% of 38 wells
Hinesburg, Chittenden County18% of 274 wells
Reading, Windsor County18% of 33 wells
Bennington, Bennington County18% of 34 wells
Pittsford, Rutland County16% of 50 wells
Richmond, Chittenden County15% of 255 wells
Townshend, Windham County14% of 36 wells
Pawlet, Rutland County14% of 52 wells
Williston, Chittenden County12% of 223 wells
Essex, Chittenden County11% of 203 wells
Cabot, Washington County11% of 71 wells
Derby, Orleans County11% of 45 wells
Hyde Park, Lamoille County11% of 66 wells
Cornwall, Addison County10% of 80 wells
Enosburgh, Franklin County10% of 50 wells

Sources

Vermont Tracking private well summaries: Town summaries of private well tests reported to the Vermont Department of Health, published through Vermont Environmental Public Health Tracking. Shares are against the limit Vermont applies to each analyte: arsenic 10 ug/L, uranium 20 ug/L (stricter than EPA), fluoride 4 mg/L, nitrate 10 mg/L, gross alpha 15 pCi/L, radon 4,000 pCi/L advisory. Only towns with 20 or more results are published; statistics below the reporting limit show as *. Retrieved September 3, 2026.