160 US Route 1, Freeport, Maine 04032 - 388 Bangor Rd, Ellsworth, ME 04065

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Reasons to choose Air & Water Quality.
Q. Why choose Air & Water Quality?
A. Our team of experts.
  • Over 90 years of combined team experience
  • Specialists in engineering, physics, chemistry, and biology
  • Degrees from M.I.T., Brown, and UMaine
  • A scientific approach to solving your air and water problems

Nate Chaffee
Nate Chaffee —Service & Installation Manager, Ellsworth Nate has over 17 years of experience installing and servicing water treatment and radon mitigation systems. A licensed master plumber, he is the primary installation and service technician for our Bangor / Ellsworth / MDI territory. In his spare time Nate enjoys hunting, fishing and coaching his son's sports teams. Nate and his family live in Orrington.

What is a safe level of water radon?

The "EPA believes that any radon exposure carries some risk - no level of radon is safe." -Citizens Guide.

What do I use for a limit now?

The State of Maine recommends treating the water when the radon concentration in the water is 4,000 pCi/L or greater.

What is the EPA doing about setting an MCL for water radon?

In 1996 Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to commission the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct a risk assessment study of radon in water. This report, published in 1998, agreed with previous risk assessments performed by the EPA. The study supported the EPA’s assumption that for every 10,000 pCi/L of radon in water an increase in the indoor air radon as a result of using this water will be 1 pCi/L and the assumption that outdoor radon level averages .4 pCi/L. This report recommended an alternative MCL of 4,000 pCi/l for public drinking water supplies. In 1999 the EPA proposed an MCL of 300 pCi/l and an alternative MCL (AMCL) of 4,000 pCi/L. At present, these are still in the proposal stage.