Uranium in Vermont well water
In Vermont, 1% of 19,240 private wells tested had uranium above the Vermont limit (20 ug/L), according to the Vermont Department of Health.
Uranium in well water comes from granite bedrock. Its main health effect is chemical toxicity to the kidneys rather than radiation. It is common in the same areas where radon and arsenic occur.
By county, from homeowner tests
Share of private wells above the state guidance level (20 ug/L) in tests homeowners sent to the state lab, to .
| County | Wells tested | Above state level | Highest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans | 768 | 6% | 893 ug/L | |
| Rutland | 1,279 | 2% | 362 ug/L | |
| Chittenden | 4,228 | 2% | 221 ug/L | |
| Caledonia | 862 | 1% | 93 ug/L | |
| Bennington | 571 | 1% | 57 ug/L | |
| Franklin | 1,943 | 1% | 134 ug/L | |
| Addison | 1,733 | <1% | 621 ug/L | |
| Windham | 1,091 | <1% | 61 ug/L | |
| Washington | 2,262 | <1% | 797 ug/L | |
| Lamoille | 1,218 | <1% | 78 ug/L | |
| Grand Isle | 339 | <1% | 44 ug/L | |
| Windsor | 1,744 | <1% | 42 ug/L | |
| Orange | 1,109 | <1% | 34 ug/L | |
| Essex | 93 | 0% | 9 ug/L |
Towns with the highest share above the state level
- Westmore, Orleans County28% of 58 wells
- Barton, Orleans County18% of 49 wells
- Newport, Orleans County16% of 49 wells
- Pittsford, Rutland County15% of 60 wells
- Peacham, Caledonia County13% of 64 wells
- St. George, Chittenden County10% of 97 wells
- Townshend, Windham County9% of 45 wells
- Cabot, Washington County7% of 110 wells
- Hubbardton, Rutland County7% of 55 wells
- Richford, Franklin County7% of 59 wells
- Hinesburg, Chittenden County6% of 413 wells
- Castleton, Rutland County6% of 165 wells
- Derby, Orleans County5% of 78 wells
- Cornwall, Addison County5% of 123 wells
- Reading, Windsor County5% of 44 wells
- Enosburgh, Franklin County4% of 69 wells
- Charleston, Orleans County4% of 47 wells
- Middletown Springs, Rutland County4% of 46 wells
- Marshfield, Washington County4% of 76 wells
- Dover, Windham County4% of 54 wells
- Brandon, Rutland County4% of 56 wells
- Williston, Chittenden County3% of 320 wells
- Waltham, Addison County3% of 30 wells
- Dorset, Bennington County3% of 77 wells
- Fairfield, Franklin County3% of 119 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. uranium counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.