Where is radium found?
The highest radium levels in water are found in water drawn from two rock formations; the deep sandstone of the state’s eastern quarter and the crystalline granite rock of north-central Wisconsin. Immediate health risks from drinking water containing low radioactivity levels are small, but consuming this water for a lifetime increases the health risks. Another natural radioactive element, uranium, has been detected in a few Wisconsin wells. Currently there is no drinking water standard for uranium. Currently, approximately 50 of Wisconsin’s 1,300 community water systems exceed the drinking water standard for radium. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is providing guidance to help water system officials take corrective action to safeguard the environment as well as human health. Efforts are underway to identify the best methods of reducing radium in drinking water and disposing the wastes from treatment processes.
