Uranium

Status: National drinking water standard exists

Uranium is a known human carcinogen. The federal legal limit for uranium is set at 30 micrograms per liter (corresponding to parts per billion), but utilities can also report uranium in picocuries per liter (pCi/L), which is a measure of radioactivity in water. EWG translated all uranium results to pCi/L using a conversion factor developed by the EPA. With this conversion approach, the limit of 30 ppb corresponds to 20 pCi/L. Drinking water with this much uranium would cause more than 4.6 cancer cases in a population of 100,000. California set a public health goal for uranium of 0.43 pCi/L. Read More.

Multiple forms of uranium can be detected in water, including uranium-234, uranium-235 and uranium-238. Uranium-234 is the most toxic form of uranium for human health.

2014-2019:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

FOUND ABOVE LEGAL LIMIT

states detected

8,426

utilities detected

80 million

people served

states over health guideline

6,962

utilities over health guideline

61 million

people served over health guideline

states over legal limit

103

utilities over legal limit

62,868

people served over legal limit

Health concerns for uranium

Cancer

Harm to the kidney

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.43 pCi/L

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.43 pCi/L for uranium was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. Three most common uranium isotopes are U-234, U-235 and U-238. All isotopes of uranium are radioactive, and the total radioactivity depends on the ratio of isotopes. This health guideline protects against cancer.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 20 pCi/L

pCi/L = picocuries per liter

States reporting uranium in drinking water

	UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES			UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served		Utilities	People Served
California		902	26,856,689			933	27,994,597
Texas		1,121	7,287,337			1,250	11,397,557
Florida		135	3,248,648			260	6,773,802
Colorado		436	2,174,162			552	4,696,268
New York		252	980,429			486	3,857,691
Arizona		105	3,042,837			108	3,052,690
New Jersey		97	2,075,146			108	3,048,387
Nevada		159	2,783,108			163	2,783,187
Pennsylvania		234	1,931,506			306	2,303,565
New Mexico		464	1,801,506			471	1,872,233
Utah		40	1,393,719			41	1,393,959
Wisconsin		91	462,962			271	1,352,353
Louisiana		16	620,427			65	1,346,538
Indiana		41	1,156,390			64	1,297,362
Idaho		404	959,129			450	1,014,095
Oklahoma		272	748,529			310	924,324
Iowa		68	534,462			61	530,915
Missouri		36	54,804			61	430,768
Montana		381	352,266			394	395,251
Connecticut		211	205,405			236	374,554
Oregon		68	87,800			98	374,302
Maine		118	96,465			152	339,519
North Carolina		357	164,953			409	332,707
North Dakota		146	146,145			194	311,365
Nebraska		116	295,670			115	295,490
Wyoming		135	293,730			125	293,913
Kansas		44	263,697			41	260,958
New Hampshire		276	104,396			349	248,835
Illinois		2	2,650			24	188,061
Maryland		8	158,273			8	158,273
Georgia		46	66,752			51	115,546
Minnesota		18	83,237			19	103,637
Kentucky		2	9,983			13	56,283
Virginia		17	7,876			48	47,398
Massachusetts		23	17,151			25	37,401
West Virginia		2	6,650			3	30,945
Hawaii		0	0			3	30,299
Mississippi		1	1,068			6	28,707
South Carolina		32	20,698			31	20,655
Michigan		3	3,607			9	20,046
South Dakota		22	14,352			23	14,502
Washington		21	12,360			27	13,672
Alaska		4	917			24	11,588
Vermont		27	9,408			30	9,678
Rhode Island		9	1,356			9	1,356

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce uranium

Utilities with the highest amounts of uranium, 2014-2019

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Two Twenty Four Mobile Home Pk	North Fork, CA	1 of 1	89.00 pCi/L	30
Queen's Inn By The River	Oakhurst, CA	5 of 5	81.00 pCi/L	50
Crawford*	Crawford, GA	5 of 5	69.27 pCi/L	1,170
Alto	Alto, GA	10 of 10	61.12 pCi/L	2,545
Md#06 Lake Shore Park	Madera, CA	10 of 10	57.69 pCi/L	130
Glen Acres Water Co-op	Lordsburg, NM	19 of 19	54.31 pCi/L	180
South Kingstown Nursing and Rehab	West Kingston, RI	6 of 6	53.48 pCi/L	175
Riviera WCID	Riviera, TX	28 of 28	49.54 pCi/L	729
Sierra Linda Mutual Water Company	North Fork, CA	12 of 12	47.74 pCi/L	180
Oconee Springs Landing S/d	Atlanta, GA	2 of 2	45.40 pCi/L	346
Hillview Water Company-oakhurst/sierra Lakes*	Oakhurst, CA	223 of 227	42.72 pCi/L	2,805
Broadview Terrace Mutual Water Company	Oakhurst, CA	223 of 227	42.72 pCi/L	510
Pecan Grove Mobile Home Park	San Antonio, TX	8 of 8	42.17 pCi/L	81
Mitchells Camp Family Association	Palo Verde, CA	10 of 10	42.01 pCi/L	175
East Three Rivers Mutual	Three Rivers, CA	3 of 3	41.69 pCi/L	28
Sheridan Lake Water Company	Sheridan Lake, CO	12 of 12	40.03 pCi/L	160
Csa 70-f Morongo	Victorville, CA	62 of 62	39.47 pCi/L	450
Buttonwillow County Water District	Buttonwillow, CA	4 of 4	39.20 pCi/L	1,266
Md#42 Still Meadow	Madera, CA	9 of 9	38.21 pCi/L	100
Guatay Mutual Benefit Corporation	Guatay, CA	42 of 44	37.98 pCi/L	100
Rosamond Mobilehome Park	Tustin, CA	24 of 24	35.63 pCi/L	175
Meadow Lakes Subdivision	Crawford, GA	1 of 1	35.00 pCi/L	81
Rainbird Valley Mutual Water Company	Weldon, CA	42 of 43	34.86 pCi/L	188
Daggett Community Services District	Daggett, CA	12 of 12	34.36 pCi/L	795
White Plains	White Plains, GA	7 of 10	34.04 pCi/L	437
Knoll Enterprises	Ludlow, CA	38 of 40	32.02 pCi/L	500
Eagles Nest Estates	Chadron, NE	3 of 3	31.23 pCi/L	52
Kelvin Simmons Co-op	San Tan Valley, AZ	6 of 6	31.09 pCi/L	25
Strawberry Fields Mobile Home Park	Plant City, FL	26 of 26	30.69 pCi/L	250
Rancho Santa Teresa Mw Company	Ramona, CA	39 of 39	29.84 pCi/L	74
Martin's Mobile Home Court	Newman, CA	13 of 13	29.71 pCi/L	60
Beverly, City of	Beverly, KS	6 of 6	29.52 pCi/L	148
Rio Brazos Water System	Choctaw, TX	24 of 24	28.97 pCi/L	108
Jim Wells County Fresh Water Supply District 1	Ben Bolt, TX	24 of 24	28.71 pCi/L	1,890
Santa Cruz Water Association	Santa Cruz, NM	47 of 47	28.64 pCi/L	343
Piedmont Municpal Authority	Piedmont, OK	6 of 6	28.21 pCi/L	7,542
Johnson Creek Water Users Association	Tonasket, WA	15 of 15	28.10 pCi/L	48
R.s. Mutual Water Company	Wofford Heights, CA	23 of 23	27.57 pCi/L	67
Cliffs At Keowee (sc3950009)	Seneca, SC	4 of 4	27.24 pCi/L	23
Byram Hmwnrs Association Water	Phillipsburg, NJ	10 of 11	27.04 pCi/L	400
Ojo Caliente Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association	Ojo Caliente, NM	49 of 49	26.65 pCi/L	226
Martinsburg, Village of	Allen, NE	31 of 31	26.56 pCi/L	94
Haystack Estates	Westford, MA	27 of 33	26.36 pCi/L	60
Barrett Lake Mobile Home and Rv LLC	Dulzura, CA	20 of 21	26.30 pCi/L	150
Old River Mutual Water Company	Bakersfield, CA	23 of 23	26.09 pCi/L	60
Trotter`s Ridge Subdivision	Watkinsville, GA	3 of 3	25.80 pCi/L	187
Pecan Tree Water Association	Noble, OK	30 of 30	25.76 pCi/L	22
Valley Estates Water & Sewer Association	Fairview, NM	25 of 25	25.70 pCi/L	194
Trampas Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association	Chamisal, NM	25 of 25	25.57 pCi/L	132
Round Mountain Water Company	Bakersfield, CA	48 of 48	25.13 pCi/L	50

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Uranium, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Warrington Twp Water&sew Dept	Warrington, PA	24 of 24	20.00 pCi/L	21,588
City of Sanger	Sanger, CA	1 of 1	19.00 pCi/L	25,664
City of Scottsbluff*	Scottsbluff, NE	36 of 36	17.11 pCi/L	15,030
City of North Platte*	North Platte, NE	6 of 6	14.93 pCi/L	25,000
City of Grand Island*	Grand Island, NE	41 of 41	14.31 pCi/L	51,440
Dona Ana MDWCA	Dona Ana, NM	12 of 12	14.01 pCi/L	16,217
City of Hastings*	Hastings, NE	15 of 15	13.93 pCi/L	25,224
City of Lexington	Lexington, NE	20 of 20	13.84 pCi/L	10,230
Centerville City Water System	Centerville, UT	2 of 2	13.63 pCi/L	16,000
White City WID	Sandy, UT	2 of 2	13.58 pCi/L	15,800
City of Garden City*	Garden City, KS	2 of 2	13.11 pCi/L	26,546
Mission Springs WD	Desert Hot Springs, CA	182 of 183	12.43 pCi/L	34,626
West Kern Water District	Taft, CA	31 of 31	11.68 pCi/L	21,181
City of Hereford	Hereford, TX	21 of 21	11.53 pCi/L	15,370
Twentynine Palms Water District	Twentynine Palms, CA	58 of 58	11.42 pCi/L	18,600
Murray City Water System*	Murray, UT	3 of 3	11.26 pCi/L	36,000
Carson City Public Works*	Carson City, NV	819 of 821	11.18 pCi/L	56,000
South Adams County Water and Sanitation District	Commerce City, CO	17 of 17	10.95 pCi/L	63,808
Midvale City Water System	Midvale, UT	5 of 5	10.72 pCi/L	33,000
Espanola Water System*	Espanola, NM	10 of 10	10.65 pCi/L	12,012
East Pasadena Water Company	Pasadena, CA	6 of 6	10.62 pCi/L	10,978
Desert Water Agency	Palm Springs, CA	44 of 44	10.20 pCi/L	83,710
City of Kerman	Kerman, CA	16 of 17	9.99 pCi/L	14,068
Farmington City Water System	Farmington, UT	2 of 2	9.92 pCi/L	24,000
City of Midland	Midland, TX	2 of 2	9.88 pCi/L	132,950
Pasadena*	Pasadena, CA	23 of 24	9.71 pCi/L	165,740
City of Dodge City	Dodge City, KS	1 of 1	9.60 pCi/L	27,329
Waterpro Inc	Draper, UT	2 of 2	9.51 pCi/L	28,000
Burbank Water Department	Burbank, CA	2 of 2	9.05 pCi/L	105,543
City of Corona*	Corona, CA	39 of 56	8.99 pCi/L	155,896
City of Ceres	Ceres, CA	235 of 235	8.92 pCi/L	42,666
City of Elko	Elko, NV	44 of 45	8.90 pCi/L	20,451
Northwest Park MUD	Houston, TX	6 of 6	8.86 pCi/L	17,406
Global Water - Santa Cruz Water Company	Maricopa, AZ	94 of 96	8.61 pCi/L	17,005
City of Kuna	Kuna, ID	20 of 21	8.39 pCi/L	22,830
Mustang	Mustang, OK	2 of 2	8.07 pCi/L	15,435
California Water Service (CWS) - Salinas	San Jose, CA	171 of 178	7.93 pCi/L	106,858
Golden State Water Company - Bay Point	Rancho Cordova, CA	1 of 1	7.80 pCi/L	22,258
City of Lemoore	Lemoore, CA	1 of 1	7.80 pCi/L	24,945
City of Garden Grove	Garden Grove, CA	37 of 37	7.75 pCi/L	170,883
Golden State Water Company - West Orange	Anaheim, CA	20 of 21	7.75 pCi/L	114,016
California Water Service (CWS) - Selma	San Jose, CA	6 of 7	7.71 pCi/L	24,587
City of Riverside*	Riverside, CA	308 of 308	7.69 pCi/L	303,871
South Orange Water Department	South Orange, NJ	1 of 1	7.66 pCi/L	16,964
City of Fresno*	Fresno, CA	38 of 40	7.65 pCi/L	522,352
City of Ripon	Ripon, CA	4 of 6	7.45 pCi/L	14,915
City of Corcoran	Corcoran, CA	2 of 2	7.41 pCi/L	24,813
City of Englewood	Englewood, CO	1 of 1	7.37 pCi/L	46,541
City of Kearney	Kearney, NE	24 of 24	7.35 pCi/L	30,919
Military Highway WSC - Progreso	Progreso, TX	4 of 4	7.30 pCi/L	11,136