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Water Monitoring - Offsite Radiological
NSTec monitors annually a network of offsite
wells [
PDF, 15 MB] and
springs [
PDF, 15 MB], for the presence of tritium, gamma-emitting man-made
radionuclides, and gross alpha and beta radioactivity. The DRI, through
the CEMP, monitors annually a network of
wells, water supply systems, and springs [
PDF, 15 MB] for the presence of tritium.
Annual monitoring results from all of these offsite water sources indicate that contaminated groundwater has not moved beyond the
borders of the NTS. Offsite drinking water from wells, water supply
systems, and springs continue to have very low or undetectable levels
of tritium which are less than 0.2 percent of the safe drinking water
standards established by the EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Gross alpha and beta radioactivity is detectable in many offsite
groundwater samples and comes from naturally-occurring radioactive
sources (for example uranium) in the host rock of the aquifers.
No man-made gamma-emitting radionuclides have been detected in any
offsite wells, water supply systems, or springs.
As a result of water monitoring, the calculated
radiological dose to the public
attributable to past or present NTS activities does not include the
ingestion of drinking water as a possible exposure pathway.
The detailed methods and results of offsite radiological water
monitoring can be found in Chapters 4 and 6 of the most recently
published
Nevada Test Site Environmental Report [
PDF, 15 MB].
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