Radium (226 + 228) in California well water
In California, 2% of 2,468 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for radium (226 + 228) (5 pCi/L).
Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive metal in bedrock. It accumulates in bone and raises the risk of bone cancer. It occurs in the same granite areas as uranium and radon.
Check your radium (226 + 228) 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 California well for radium (226 + 228)
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 radium (226 + 228)
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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 radium (226 + 228)
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 radium (226 + 228) in California: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (5 pCi/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kern | 574 | 74% | 0.15 | 34 pCi/L | |
| Los Angeles | 351 | 69% | 0.076 | 13.3 pCi/L | |
| San Bernardino | 253 | 69% | 0.04 | 14.2 pCi/L | |
| Ventura | 46 | 89% | 0.29 | 0.89 pCi/L | |
| Fresno | 133 | 84% | 0.14 | 2 pCi/L | |
| Tulare | 34 | 82% | 0.119 | 1.06 pCi/L | |
| San Diego | 36 | 78% | 0.088 | 0.86 pCi/L | |
| Riverside | 148 | 78% | 0.085 | 1.51 pCi/L | |
| Stanislaus | 84 | 74% | 0.083 | 0.49 pCi/L | |
| Monterey | 78 | 72% | 0.096 | 1.6 pCi/L | |
| Santa Barbara | 136 | 71% | 0.1 | 2.8 pCi/L | |
| Orange | 80 | 69% | 0.08 | 0.7 pCi/L | |
| Sacramento | 36 | 67% | 0.057 | 0.49 pCi/L | |
| Madera | 36 | 64% | 0.06 | 2.56 pCi/L | |
| Mendocino | 38 | 55% | 0.024 | 0.26 pCi/L |
- Wasco CCD, Kern County18% of 80
- West Kern CCD, Kern County9% of 86
- Long Beach-Lakewood CCD, Los Angeles County8% of 40
- Buttonwillow CCD, Kern County5% of 73
- Barstow CCD, San Bernardino County0% of 55
- Fresno CCD, Fresno County0% of 82
- Bakersfield CCD, Kern County0% of 90
- San Ardo CCD, Monterey County0% of 44
- Modesto CCD, Stanislaus County0% of 62
- Santa Maria CCD, Santa Barbara County0% of 106
- Whittier CCD, Los Angeles County0% of 56
- Sacramento CCD, Sacramento County0% of 34
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Garden Grove CCD, Orange County0% of 44
- San Bernardino CCD, San Bernardino County0% of 62
- Victorville-Hesperia CCD, San Bernardino County0% of 36
- Rosedale CCD, Kern County0% of 54
- Shafter CCD, Kern County0% of 62
- Greenfield-Panama CCD, Kern County0% of 44
- Newhall CCD, Los Angeles County0% of 31
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. radium (226 + 228) counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.