Radium and uranium concentrations in Georgia community water systems

The first cycle of statewide radionuclide concentration measurements of public drinking water supplies was completed in accord with the Federal and Georgia Safe Drinking Water Acts. The recommended pattern of analysis is initial screening for gross alpha-particle activity, followed by measuring 226Ra if the gross alpha-particle activity is above 5 pCi/l. and then measuring 228Ra if the 226Ra concentration is above 3 pCi/l; and uranium analysis if the gross alpha-particle activity exceeds 15 pCi/l. Surface water supplies for more than 100,000 persons are analyzed for 3H and 90Sr and screened for gross beta-particle activity, with additional analytical requirements if the latter is above 50 pCi/l. Specified supplies downstream for nuclear facilities are analyzed for 3H, 90Sr and 131I, and further analyses are required if the gross beta-particle activity is above 15 pCi/l. More thorough screening was applied for 1400 public water supplies in Georgia, of which about 90% use groundwater. Radium concentrations exceeded the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 pCi/l. in 24 groundwater supplies, mostly due to elevated 226Ra. The gross alpha-particle activity minus uranium concentrations exceeded the 15 pCi/l. MCL in 3 additional samples. No MCL was exceeded in surface water. The S.D.s of analytical results estimated from replicate analyses were approximately twice those based on counting statistics, suggesting that screening levels should be lowered to assure detection of 226Ra at MCL values.