Radon in well water in York, PA

Radon in York County homes

York County is an EPA Zone 1 county, the highest-risk band, and the state numbers back that up: about 40% of Pennsylvania homes test above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L, and in York County the share is close to a third. Average basement readings in the county run well above the action level. The geology is the reason. The Piedmont limestone and carbonate belt under York itself, the Peach Bottom slate in the southern townships and the shale and sandstone to the north all release radon from uranium in the rock, and the gas moves up through the soil and into any house with a slab, a basement or a crawl space.

Most calls are about one of four things:

• A high test result during a home sale, where the buyer's inspector ran a 48-hour test and the number came back over 4.0.
• A homeowner test kit result that came back high after a January test.
• A system that stopped working: the manometer reads level, the fan is silent or loud, or a follow-up test is high again.
• A new house with builder piping (a passive rough-in) that needs a fan added.

What "radon mitigation" means here

In Pennsylvania anyone who tests for or mitigates radon for pay must be certified by the Department of Environmental Protection under the Radon Certification Act (Act 43 of 1987). Testing and mitigation are separate certifications, and the companies listed here fall into three groups. Mitigation contractors design and install the system, usually active sub-slab depressurization: a suction point under the slab, PVC pipe up and out, a fan that runs continuously, and a manometer that shows it is pulling. Most also test before and after and service fans. Testing-only firms and home inspectors measure radon with a continuous monitor or charcoal kit and write the report, which is what you want for an independent number, especially in a real-estate deal. Water treatment firms handle radon in well water, a separate problem that is common in rural York County.

Whoever you call, the job should end with a post-mitigation test showing the house under 4.0 pCi/L, and ideally under 2.0. A quote that does not include the fan, the manometer and a follow-up test is not a complete quote. Radon reduction, radon removal and radon abatement all mean the same thing on this site: a mitigation system, installed by someone the DEP has certified.