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Uranium in New Hampshire well water
USGS area-risk estimates for Uranium in New Hampshire private wells, by county. Uranium is a health hazard. Chronic exposure in drinking water is primarily a kidney-toxicity concern, and uranium is also radioactive. Only New Hampshire publishes a state-specific groundwater model; everywhere else, testing your own well is the only way to know.
How common is Uranium in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire has a modeled Uranium estimate for 10 counties, with a county-area average of 62%.
These figures are USGS area estimates: statistical groundwater models describing how likely elevated contaminant levels are across a county. They are not designed to predict the concentration in any single well. Only testing your own well reveals its water quality.
What is Uranium?
Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive metal that leaches into groundwater from uranium-bearing bedrock such as granite. In water it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.
Health effects of Uranium
Uranium is a health hazard. Chronic exposure in drinking water is primarily a kidney-toxicity concern (a chemical effect), and uranium is also radioactive, carrying an increased long-term cancer risk.
Symptoms & signs
- Usually none until kidney effects develop
- Possible kidney damage with long-term high exposure
Who is most at risk
- People with existing kidney conditions
- Anyone with long-term high-level exposure
Uranium's toxicity is mainly a chemical (kidney) effect from chronic ingestion, alongside a long-term radiation-related cancer risk; there is no acute illness at typical well-water levels.
How Uranium gets into a well
Uranium dissolves from granite and alkaline sandstone aquifers; its mobility in groundwater increases with dissolved oxygen and carbonate alkalinity.
Where Uranium is common
Uranium occurs in groundwater nationwide wherever bedrock is uranium-rich — notably the granite areas of New England, the Rocky Mountains, and Western basin-fill aquifers. Only New Hampshire publishes a modeled probability surface for private-well uranium; everywhere else, the only way to know your level is to test your own well.
Highest Uranium risk counties in New Hampshire
Counties with the highest modeled Uranium area-risk in New Hampshire. These are county-area estimates, not a measurement of any single well.
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Find a New Hampshire-certified lab
Get your well tested for Uranium at a New Hampshire-certified laboratory.
How to remove Uranium: treatment options
Anion exchange
Whole-house (point-of-entry)A whole-house option that removes uranium from all water entering the home.
Spent resin can concentrate uranium and become low-level radioactive waste — handle and dispose of it per local guidance.
Whole-house (point-of-entry) systems are a larger investment — typically into the thousands of dollars installed — and total cost varies widely with water chemistry, system type, and professional installation.
Reverse osmosis (RO)
Point-of-use (single tap)Removes uranium at a single tap (drinking/cooking water).
The RO reject water and membrane can concentrate uranium.
An under-sink reverse-osmosis unit typically runs about $450 and up (under-sink/countertop systems roughly $400–$1,350), plus periodic filter/membrane replacement. Costs vary widely.
Costs are typical installed ranges that vary widely by system, water chemistry, region, and whether you install it yourself or hire a professional. Last reviewed 2026-06. Always confirm a device is certified (NSF/ANSI or WQA) for the specific contaminant.
Testing for Uranium
- EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL)
- 30 µg/LThe MCLG is zero. A gross-alpha screen (MCL 15 pCi/L) is a common, inexpensive first step before a uranium-specific test.
- Can you taste, smell, or see it?
- None — colorless, odorless, and tasteless.
- Collecting a sample
- Use a certified lab; a gross-alpha screen can flag whether a uranium-specific test is needed.
Sources
The facts on this page are drawn from primary public-health and government sources:
By TapWaterData Editorial
Uranium in New Hampshire well water FAQ
How common is Uranium in New Hampshire private wells?
New Hampshire has a modeled Uranium estimate for 10 counties. These figures are USGS area estimates: statistical groundwater models describing how likely elevated contaminant levels are across a county. They are not designed to predict the concentration in any single well. Only testing your own well reveals its water quality.
Is Uranium a health risk?
Uranium is a health hazard. Chronic exposure in drinking water is primarily a kidney-toxicity concern, and uranium is also radioactive. Only New Hampshire publishes a state-specific groundwater model; everywhere else, testing your own well is the only way to know.
How do I test my New Hampshire well for Uranium?
Order a test that covers Uranium from a New Hampshire-certified drinking-water lab and compare the result to the EPA limit. The county-level estimate above is an area model for New Hampshire, not a measurement of your individual well — only testing your own water reveals its Uranium level.
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