Radium Found in Lexington County Groundwater

Paraphrased by
Steve Waldrop
July 23, 2003

Columbia, SC--- Traces of naturally occurring radium has been found in groundwater suppling public and private wells in Lexington County.

The radium found in an area south of Lake Murray and west of I-26, and does not pose a major public health threat, DHEC spokesman Thom Berry said.

Residents are encouraged to get their wells tested. Radium can't be detected without tests, because it has not color, odor or taste, DHEC officials said.

Officials from DHEC will meet with area residents Thursday to discuss the problem.

State officials are offering two options to help residents: A private laboratory will test a sample of well water for $176. DHEC also will test samples in its own labs for $50, but the agency can't handle more than 10 at a time.

If radium is found, homeowners can install protective filters, which cost from approximately $200 to more than $1,000. Long-term exposure to radium is believed to increase a person's chances of developing cancer.

Trace amounts of radium were first detected in 15 samples taken during the past two years from public water supplies coming from wells across the county. Officials then tested other ground water in an area stretching from Aiken to the Charlotte N.C. suburbs. Radium naturally occurs in a geologic belt across the Midlands, officials said.