Radiological Contaminants
The radioactive gas your shower releases — a well-water problem that shows up in your air.
Tell us about your water — we’ll recommend the right system. No obligation.
Radon is a radioactive gas produced by decaying radium in rock — the same granite chemistry behind Hill Country radium and uranium. In wells, radon dissolves into the water underground, rides into your house in the plumbing, and escapes into the air every time water sprays, splashes or heats: showers, dishwashers, laundry.
That's why radon-in-water is really an indoor-air question: as a rule of thumb, every 10,000 pCi/L of radon in water adds about 1 pCi/L to household air, on top of whatever enters from the soil. The EPA proposed water limits — 300 pCi/L, or 4,000 pCi/L where a state runs an indoor-air program — but never finalized them, so private well owners navigate by testing and judgment. Test both: the water, and the home's air.
Treatment is refreshingly effective. Aeration systems bubble air through the water before it enters the house, stripping up to 99% of the gas and venting it harmlessly outdoors — the gold standard for real radon numbers. Granular activated carbon can serve at lower levels, with the caveat that the tank slowly concentrates radioactivity and needs a disposal plan. As always, the analysis — not the catalog — picks the tool.
Radon leaves the water and enters your lungs via household air — the risk is inhalation, not the glass.
Test the water →Air in, radon out the vent — up to 99% removal before the water enters the house.
Well systems →Radon, radium and uranium travel together — one radiological panel covers all three.
Radium →Soil radon and water radon add up — a complete picture needs both tests.
The analysis →Not a finalized one — the EPA proposed limits (300 pCi/L, or 4,000 with a state indoor-air program) but never finalized them. That doesn't make radon harmless; it makes it your call, guided by testing.
Mostly through the air: every shower, dishwasher and washing-machine cycle releases dissolved radon gas into the house. Roughly, 10,000 pCi/L in water adds about 1 pCi/L to indoor air.
Aeration is the gold standard — bubbling air through the water strips up to 99% of the gas and vents it outdoors. Granular activated carbon can handle lower levels but concentrates radioactivity over time, so aeration usually wins for wells with real numbers.
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