privatewelldata / Guides / Uranium
What to do if uranium is high
Uranium occurs naturally in some areas and can harm the kidneys and bones.
- Why it matters
- Occurs naturally in some areas and comes from mining and industry. Can damage the kidneys and bones. [Health Canada]
- US limit
- 30 µg/L. [US EPA]
- Canada limit
- 0.02 mg/L. [Health Canada]
1. Right away
- Use another water source for drinking. Boiling does not remove chemicals. [CDC]
- Ask your local health unit or drinking-water authority how often to retest and which treatment fits your water. [Health Canada]
2. Treatment
- Health Canada’s list of certified systems does not name a device for uranium; check the uranium guideline document and ask your authority before buying. [Health Canada],[Health Canada]
- Choose a treatment system certified to the NSF/ANSI standard for your specific contaminant, then have an accredited lab test the water going into and coming out of it to confirm it works. [Health Canada]
Who to call
- Who to call: in the US, contact your county or state health or environment agency (EPA lists them by state). In Canada, contact your local public health office or the provincial drinking-water authority. [US EPA],[CDC],[Health Canada]
Next
Certified labs · What should I test for? · Test costs · Salesperson checklist
Sources
- Health Canada – Test your well waterchecked 2026-10-18
- US EPA – National Primary Drinking Water Regulationschecked 2026-10-18
- Health Canada – Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, summary tablechecked 2026-10-18
- CDC – Guidelines for treating well waterchecked 2026-10-18
- Health Canada – Treat your well waterchecked 2026-10-18
- US EPA – Private well programs in your statechecked 2026-10-18
- CDC – Guidelines for testing well waterchecked 2026-10-18
General information, not medical advice.