Radon in Vermont well water
In Vermont, 8% of 2,351 private wells tested had radon above the Vermont advisory level (4,000 pCi/L), according to the Vermont Department of Health.
Radon is a radioactive gas released from bedrock into well water. It escapes into household air during showers and washing, where inhaling it raises lung cancer risk. EPA has no enforceable water MCL; New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L, and many states use 4,000 pCi/L.
Check your radon number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the Vermont advisory level and the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your Vermont well for radon
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.
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Getting it fixed
Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company, or see the treatment guide for what removes radon.
Where to get a well tested for radon in Vermont: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from homeowner tests
Share of private wells above the state guidance level (4,000 pCi/L) in tests homeowners sent to the state lab, to .
| County | Above state level | Wells tested | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans | 214 | 33,500 pCi/L | |
| Orange | 51 | 20,900 pCi/L | |
| Windsor | 161 | 912,000 pCi/L | |
| Washington | 738 | 39,100 pCi/L | |
| Lamoille | 421 | 13,900 pCi/L | |
| Caledonia | 234 | 21,800 pCi/L | |
| Chittenden | 438 | 17,900 pCi/L | |
| Bennington | 31 | 2,130 pCi/L |
Towns with the highest share above the state level
- Westmore, Orleans County54% of 39 wells
- Randolph, Orange County23% of 31 wells
- Ludlow, Windsor County18% of 44 wells
- Barre, Washington County15% of 46 wells
- Hyde Park, Lamoille County14% of 35 wells
- Middlesex, Washington County11% of 35 wells
- Moretown, Washington County11% of 46 wells
- Berlin, Washington County10% of 31 wells
- Fayston, Washington County9% of 100 wells
- Waitsfield, Washington County9% of 82 wells
- Hinesburg, Chittenden County8% of 66 wells
- Burke, Caledonia County5% of 37 wells
- Warren, Washington County5% of 134 wells
- Calais, Washington County5% of 58 wells
- Stowe, Lamoille County5% of 284 wells
- Richmond, Chittenden County5% of 41 wells
- Morristown, Lamoille County4% of 76 wells
- East Montpelier, Washington County4% of 57 wells
- Norwich, Windsor County3% of 33 wells
- Hartford, Windsor County3% of 37 wells
- Waterbury, Washington County3% of 76 wells
- Shelburne, Chittenden County2% of 42 wells
- Derby, Orleans County2% of 43 wells
- Charlotte, Chittenden County1% of 89 wells
- Williston, Chittenden County0% of 52 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.
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. radon counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.