Testing, Mapping, and Public Education on Uranium and Radon in Private Drinking Water Wells in Georgia.

In 2010, routine testing of some private drinking water wells at University of Georgia’s (UGA) Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories (AESL) detected uranium at concentrations above EPA's MCL, 30 parts per billion (ppb). From 2010 to 2013, the University of Georgia Extension conducted a public education program along with a half-price water testing service to encourage well owners to test their waters. The half-price testing service resulted in a substantial increase in voluntary submission of water samples for testing these contaminants, which in turn, enhanced our understanding about the nature and extent of the problems in the state. The testing and education program has been still continuing, but at a list price. Radon in Household Water Testing and Education program was launched in August 2015. The laboratory developed a mapping program and made it available online for public at: http://aesl.ces.uga.edu/water/map/. As of May 8, 2017, the total number of water samples tested for uranium was 1247. Of these, 150 had detectable amounts of uranium (above 10 ppb) with 64 being above the 30 ppb MCL. One of the wells tested as high as 6297 ppb, which is more than 200 times greater than EPA's MCL for uranium for public water supplies. All of these 64 samples were from the Piedmont Blue Ridge Regions above the “Fall Line”. A total of 90 well waters were tested for radon. Out of these 88 had detectable level of radon (100 pCi/L) with 59 exceeding the proposed MCL (300 pCi/L) and 17 exceeding the AMCL (4000 pCi/L). All of these 59 well water samples were also from the areas above “Fall Line. People from the Georgia counties with high uranium and radon in well water reported to various agencies numerous health problems including cancer, kidney problems, autoimmune disorders, gastrointestinal symptoms, and neuropathy despite the apparent absence of any published study report for the affected areas directly linking these contaminants and the reported illnesses. The public educational program, implemented in a few selected counties, resulted in an increased public awareness, engaged other stakeholders, and contributed to protecting public health. Several public education workshops were conducted and attended by hundreds of county residents. The objectives of the workshops were: (1) Educate consumers about uranium and radon, (2) Promote testing water for uranium and radon in air; and (3) Provide information on treatment systems to remove these contaminants. More than 90% of the workshop attendees responded positively to questions about their knowledge gained and their ability to handle their well water problems after participating in a workshop.