Radon in tap water worries Chelsea residents

Some residents in Chelsea, Que., are spending thousands of dollars to rid their drinking water of radioactive gas.

Radon gas forms naturally from the breakdown of uranium in the ground and seeps up through basements and cracks in the foundation of houses.

Chelsea resident Dugald Seely installed a specialized ventilation system to remove radon when he moved to the area, but he said the gas was still getting into his house. That's when he began to suspect his well water.

"Many houses won't have this as an issue, but I think it's worth checking," Seely said. "Especially when there are kids that are going through development and are at high risk."

A U.S. lab tested his water andfound high radon levels. While the water is safe to drink, Seely said running the taps releases radon into the air.

Charlotte Barrette-Brisson, a Montreal-based radon mitigation expert, said she was "surprised" to learn radon is being released through the taps.

"This is the first case I've known about," she said.

Barrette-Brisson recommended an aeration system, which pumps air through the well water forcing the radon out, to solve the problem. The machine cost Seely about $6,500.

Seeley, a father of two, said the money was worth it for him, and for several of his neighbours.

"[Radon is] definitely a risk factor, but it can be solved," he said. "It's not an issue you can't deal with."

Health Canada says radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. The United States Environmental Protection Agency attributes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year to radon exposure, and says the gas is the most common way people are exposed to radiation.

Paul St-Louis, Chelsea's director general, said the town will help its residents seek more information about the risks of radon in drinking water. But St-Louis said the municipality will not pay for aeration systems or for the decontamination of private wells.

"It would be a jurisdictional thing, and a budget thing," St-Louis said. "They are on their own for now."