The Environmental Protection Agency?s proposed new standards for radon in drinking water will allow states to focus most of their efforts on the greatest public health risks from radon ? those in indoor air ? while also reducing the risks from radon in drinking water.
EPA?s proposal would provide two options to states and water systems for reducing public health risks from radon in both drinking water and indoor air, a unique multimedia framework authorized and outlined in the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Under the first option, states can choose to develop enhanced state programs addressing radon in indoor air in conjunction with individual water systems meeting a drinking water standard of 4,000 picoCuries per liter of water.
As a second option, individual water systems in a state could either reduce radon in their system?s drinking water to 300 pCi/L or develop individual indoor air radon programs and reduce levels in drinking water to 4,000 pCi/L. Water systems already at or below the 300 pCi/L standard will not be required to treat their water for radon.
EPA estimates the costs to states and community water systems for reducing radon in indoor air while implementing the 4,000 pCi/L drinking water standard to be approximately $86 million a year. Treating drinking water from all community ground water sources to 300 pCi/L would cost states and systems about $407 million a year.
The proposed drinking water standards would apply only to community water systems that use ground water or mixed ground and surface water as a drinking water source, and that regularly serve 25 or more people or have at least 15 year-round service connections.
Aeration of water to promote the release of radon is very effective and one of the more affordable water treatment technologies available, EPA said.
In 1988, the U.S. Surgeon General recommended that all homes in the United States be tested for radon in indoor air and those with elevated levels be fixed. Since that time, EPA has been working with state and local governments, and with public health organizations at the national, state, and local level to encourage the public to test for radon, fix high levels, and build new homes with radon-resistant techniques. The National Academy of Sciences, in a report this year, urged people who had not had their homes tested for radon in indoor air to do so.
In developing its radon proposal, EPA sought extensive input from the states, local water systems, environmental groups, and the general public in a series of public meetings across the nation over the past two years.
EPA is soliciting formal comment by publishing the proposed regulations in the Federal Register for review for 60 days. The proposed regulations also will be posted on EPA?s drinking water web site at: http://www.epa.gov/safewater on the Internet. The regulations are scheduled to be finalized in August 2000.
