Understanding Area Data vs. Individual Well Testing

Government sampling covers multiple wells, not individual taps

The U.S. Geological Survey collected radium-226 samples from three wells 500 to 1775 feet deep in Suffolk city County's aquifer 217PTMC between 2019 and 2022. While every sample detected radium-226, none exceeded federal thresholds. This regional data cannot specify your home's water chemistry but sets an area baseline.

Private wells vary even within the same aquifer

Your well may have higher or lower levels than the area median of 0.23 pCi/L. Only a certified laboratory test of your water can confirm your actual uranium-radium content.

Information to Gather Before Treatment Considerations

Document your current water testing results

Collect any recent laboratory analyses that report uranium or radium levels, noting testing dates and methods.

Assess your existing water system's performance

Note signs such as reduced flow or insufficient removal of your water's uranium and radium that indicate your current equipment cannot keep up.

Record water usage patterns

Keep track of average daily consumption, as treatment sizing depends on volume and constituent concentration.

Potential Effects of Long-Term Untreated Uranium-Radium

Radium-226 is a radioactive element naturally occurring in groundwater

Exposure over many years to elevated levels may pose health considerations. It is important to understand that the area sampling showed all results below federal safety thresholds.

Secondary impacts may include staining or taste issues

Though not a health violation, elevated uranium or radium can contribute to aesthetic water problems over time if untreated.

How the Fleck Uranium & Radium System Addresses This Issue

Designed specifically for uranium and radium removal

The Fleck System uses media and filtration technology documented to reduce uranium and radium effectively, maintaining performance even when existing equipment struggles.

Capacity suitable for typical household needs

With a grain capacity rating of 32,000, this system handles substantial contaminant loads before requiring media replacement.

Checklist for Ruling Out Other Concerns

Start with basic water quality parameters

Check for hardness, pH, or other minerals that might affect treatment system performance or signal other water issues.

Confirm uranium and radium levels with a certified test

Only a lab report on your own well water can guide precise treatment needs and verify whether the Fleck System is appropriate.

Distinguishing Aesthetic Secondary Standards from Health-Based Limits

Federal secondary standards relate to taste, color, or staining potential

While radium has no secondary standard, its presence can sometimes align with dissolved solids that affect water aesthetics.

Health-based limits focus on long-term exposure risks

The U.S. EPA sets specific rules for radium-226 in drinking water, which all area samples meet, indicating no regulatory exceedances in Suffolk city County.

In summary, area sampling in Suffolk city’s aquifer 217PTMC indicates radium-226 at levels below federal action thresholds but cannot predict your home’s exact water quality. To address concerns that existing equipment does not keep up, begin with a certified test of your well water and consider the Fleck Uranium & Radium System as a documented treatment solution.

Where this information comes from

Source: USGS groundwater sampling. Sampled 2022-03-16. These figures describe groundwater sampled in this area. They are not a test of any individual private well - only a test of that well can establish its own water.

On record: U.S. Geological Survey sampling of Radium-226 in the 217PTMC aquifer (Suffolk city County): 10 results from 3 wells, median 0.23 pCi/L, range 0.04-16.5 pCi/L; none above any federal threshold