Strontium-90
Status: No national drinking water standard exists
Strontium is a metal that accumulates in the bones. Radioactive strontium-90 can cause bone cancer and leukemia, and any form of strontium at high doses can harm bone health. Read More.
Strontium-90 has been emitted widely by nuclear power plants, weapons facilities, waste sites and nuclear research facilities. Strontium-90 is structurally similar to calcium and is thus taken up into bones. The chief health concerns from strontium-90 exposure are bone cancer and leukemia.
No federal drinking water standards for strontium-90 exist. California set a legal maximum of 8 picocuries of strontium-90 radioactivity per liter of water. California also has a public health goal of no more than 0.35 picocuries of strontium-90 per liter of drinking water. According to studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, strontium-90 also is a concern for water quality in private wells.
2014-2019:
9
states detected
191
utilities detected
12 million
people served
2
states over health guideline
113
utilities over health guideline
9.1 million
people served over health guideline
Health concerns for strontium-90
Cancer
Harm to bones
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 0.35 pCi/L
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.35 pCi/L for strontium-90 was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against cancer.
pCi/L = picocuries per liter
States reporting strontium-90 in drinking water
| UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | Utilities | People Served | |||
| California | 109 | 9,100,595 | 142 | 10,315,654 | |||
| District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | 3 | 648,882 | |||
| Arkansas | 0 | 0 | 22 | 501,145 | |||
| Virginia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 215,000 | |||
| New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 4 | 87,937 | |||
| Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 1 | 29,070 | |||
| Connecticut | 4 | 404 | 11 | 10,899 | |||
| Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5,378 | |||
| Texas | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4,572 | |||
| Pennsylvania | 0 | 0 | 1 | 80 | |||
Filtering technologies that reduce strontium-90
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Utilities with the highest amounts of strontium-90, 2014-2019
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meadowbrook Manor LLC | Centerbrook, CT | 1 of 2 | 0.94 pCi/L | 30 |
| City of Oakdale | Oakdale, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.89 pCi/L | 19,250 |
| Sterling Water System | Oneco, CT | 1 of 2 | 0.76 pCi/L | 308 |
| East Orange County Water District - Wz* | Orange, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 0 |
| Foothill Municipal Water District* | La Canada Flintridge, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 0 |
| Golden State Water Company (GSWC) - Culver City | Rancho Cordova, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 36,215 |
| Western Municipal Water District (id A - Rainbow) | Riverside, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 122 |
| El Segundo Water Department | El Segundo, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 16,654 |
| El Toro Water District | Lake Forest, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 48,628 |
| Metropolitan Water District of So. Cal.* | Los Angeles, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 0 |
| California Water Service Company - Palos Verde | San Jose, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 69,883 |
| Laguna Beach County WD | Laguna Beach, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 50,000 |
| Woodside Rv Park | Fort Bragg, CA | 2 of 2 | 0.58 pCi/L | 280 |
| Southern California Edison Company-Santa Catalina | Avalon, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.58 pCi/L | 4,200 |
| Woodland-davis Clean Water Agency | Davis, CA | 7 of 10 | 0.56 pCi/L | 0 |
| Hop River Homes | Cromwell, CT | 1 of 2 | 0.55 pCi/L | 26 |
| Redlands City* | Redlands, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.45 pCi/L | 80,000 |
| Rocky Comfort Mutual Water Company | Mentone, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.45 pCi/L | 160 |
| Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District* | Lake Elsinore, CA | 12 of 14 | 0.45 pCi/L | 142,264 |
| Chowchilla City Water Department | Chowchilla, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.44 pCi/L | 11,759 |
| Fox Laurel Mobile Home Park LLC | Oakdale, CT | 1 of 3 | 0.42 pCi/L | 40 |
| Farm Mutual Water Company (the) | Wildomar, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.36 pCi/L | 3,335 |
| Mill Creek Msc | Mentone, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.34 pCi/L | 315 |
| City of Paint Rock | Paint Rock, TX | 1 of 7 | 0.30 pCi/L | 273 |
| Cal American Water Company | Newbury Park, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 61,206 |
| Lake Sherwood Community Services District | Moorpark, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 1,527 |
| Calleguas Municipal Water District* | Thousand Oaks, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 0 |
| Oak Park Water Service | Ventura, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 12,200 |
| Solano Verde Mutual Water Company | Camarillo, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 100 |
| Ventura County Waterworks District No. 17 - Bell Canyon | Moorpark, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 2,049 |
| California Water Service Company - Westlake | San Jose, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 19,451 |
| Thousand Oaks Water Department | Thousand Oaks, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 50,000 |
| Cal American Water Company - Las Posas Estates | Newbury Park, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 1,800 |
| Weston Water Supply | Weston, CT | 1 of 2 | 0.23 pCi/L | 100 |
| Arlington County* | Arlington, VA | 1 of 2 | 0.23 pCi/L | 215,000 |
| D.C. Water and Sewer Authority* | Washington, DC | 1 of 2 | 0.23 pCi/L | 632,323 |
| Washington Aqueduct Division.* | Washington, DC | 1 of 2 | 0.23 pCi/L | 0 |
| Nuevo Water Company | Nuevo, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.22 pCi/L | 6,000 |
| City of Escondido* | Escondido, CA | 2 of 4 | 0.22 pCi/L | 145,901 |
| Rincon Del Diablo Municipal Water District (id-a) | Escondido, CA | 2 of 4 | 0.22 pCi/L | 3,435 |
| Lamont Public Utility District | Bakersfield, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.22 pCi/L | 18,290 |
| Connecticut Correctional Institute | Wethersfield, CT | 1 of 5 | 0.21 pCi/L | 9,728 |
| Three Valleys Municipal Water District* | Claremont, CA | 4 of 5 | 0.21 pCi/L | 0 |
| Brookwood Apartments | Marblehead, CT | 1 of 2 | 0.16 pCi/L | 44 |
| Brookfield Water Utility | Brookfield, WI | 1 of 2 | 0.15 pCi/L | 29,070 |
| Silver Creek Village Water Supply Corporation | Conroe, TX | 1 of 14 | 0.15 pCi/L | 312 |
| Vernon Village Inc. | Vernon, CT | 1 of 3 | 0.14 pCi/L | 430 |
| Beverly Hills Water Department | Beverly Hills, CA | 2 of 8 | 0.12 pCi/L | 44,290 |
| City Corporation* | Russellville, AR | 1 of 7 | 0.11 pCi/L | 29,260 |
| London Waterworks | London, AR | 1 of 7 | 0.11 pCi/L | 1,245 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Strontium-90, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Oakdale | Oakdale, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.89 pCi/L | 19,250 |
| El Toro Water District | Lake Forest, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 48,628 |
| Golden State Water Company (GSWC) - Culver City | Rancho Cordova, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 36,215 |
| El Segundo Water Department | El Segundo, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 16,654 |
| California Water Service Company - Palos Verde | San Jose, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 69,883 |
| Laguna Beach County WD | Laguna Beach, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.68 pCi/L | 50,000 |
| Redlands City* | Redlands, CA | 13 of 19 | 0.45 pCi/L | 80,000 |
| Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District* | Lake Elsinore, CA | 12 of 14 | 0.45 pCi/L | 142,264 |
| Chowchilla City Water Department | Chowchilla, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.44 pCi/L | 11,759 |
| Oak Park Water Service | Ventura, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 12,200 |
| Cal American Water Company | Newbury Park, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 61,206 |
| Thousand Oaks Water Department | Thousand Oaks, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 50,000 |
| California Water Service Company - Westlake | San Jose, CA | 48 of 118 | 0.24 pCi/L | 19,451 |
| Arlington County* | Arlington, VA | 1 of 2 | 0.23 pCi/L | 215,000 |
| D.C. Water and Sewer Authority* | Washington, DC | 1 of 2 | 0.23 pCi/L | 632,323 |
| City of Escondido* | Escondido, CA | 2 of 4 | 0.22 pCi/L | 145,901 |
| Lamont Public Utility District | Bakersfield, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.22 pCi/L | 18,290 |
| Brookfield Water Utility | Brookfield, WI | 1 of 2 | 0.15 pCi/L | 29,070 |
| Beverly Hills Water Department | Beverly Hills, CA | 2 of 8 | 0.12 pCi/L | 44,290 |
| City Corporation* | Russellville, AR | 1 of 7 | 0.11 pCi/L | 29,260 |
| Springdale Water Utilities* | Springdale, AR | 1 of 8 | 0.11 pCi/L | 90,235 |
| Fayetteville Waterworks* | Fayetteville, AR | 1 of 8 | 0.11 pCi/L | 102,878 |
| Rogers Water Utilities* | Rogers, AR | 1 of 8 | 0.11 pCi/L | 70,878 |
| Bentonville Water Utilities* | Bentonville, AR | 1 of 8 | 0.11 pCi/L | 42,343 |
| Fort Smith Water Utilities* | Fort Smith, AR | 2 of 18 | 0.09 pCi/L | 86,209 |
| Van Buren Waterworks* | Van Buren, AR | 2 of 18 | 0.09 pCi/L | 22,725 |
| Oxnard Water Department* | Oxnard, CA | 5 of 19 | 0.09 pCi/L | 200,855 |
| City of Petaluma* | Petaluma, CA | 1 of 2 | 0.03 pCi/L | 55,900 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Strontium-90, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.