Radon Water Testing
Maida Commercial & Home Inspection Services performs Radon Water Testing (at additional cost) in conjunction with a home Inspection in Massachusetts & New Hampshire. If you have tested your home for radon in the air, have elevated levels and live on a private water supply, the Department of Environmental Services recommends you also have your water tested for radon. We use an EPA/RMP certified radon laboratory.
When water travels through the granite it may come into contact with a radium source that is in the process of breaking down into radon gas. If you live in an area where there is an abundance of granite, high levels of radon may be formed. When water travels through the granite that is releasing radon it may enter into the groundwater, which could then be transported to your well.
When dish washing, showering and doing laundry radon can escape from water which can raise the radon level of the air within the home. The "radon transfer ratio" predicts the increased radon level of indoor air in a home due to the off-gassing of radon from the water. The transfer ratio can be very different from home to home. In comparison to radon entering your home through water, radon entering your home through soil then up through the foundation (and/or other openings) usually contributes to the largest percentage of radon found in a home.
If the home you are buying or selling is on a private well, it is usually best to schedule radon water testing when you schedule your home inspection and make final decisions to perform radon water testing on-site with the inspector. Our fee includes the inspector drawing the sample on the day of inspection and delivery to our laboratory. We include processing, analysis, report, etc. Results are usually available within 5 days. We provide you with internet address to view the results in *.pdf format. You should also print/save them. Remember, the devices and procedures are different for radon air and radon water testing.
Two key benefits of Radon testing are: If radon is found the buyer can request that the seller perform mitigation (or removal to acceptable levels), and, removal of a carcinogenic substance.
