Gross Beta Particle Activity in drinking water
129 active public water systems in 4 states had a Gross Beta Particle Activity violation in the past three years.
You are on Tapcensus, an independent guide to the EPA compliance records of every public water system in the United States. This page explains Gross Beta Particle Activity and lists the water systems whose records include a related violation. It does not show measured levels.
Is Gross Beta Particle Activity in the records for your water system?
Enter a ZIP code, town, or street address to see the water systems that serve your area, their status, and which rules and contaminants appear in their violations.
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What it is and where it comes from
Gross beta particle activity is a screening measurement of beta-emitting radionuclides in water, such as strontium-90 and tritium. Monitoring is required mainly for systems the state designates as vulnerable to man-made radioactivity, for example those near nuclear facilities, and most systems test only every few years. When the screening level is exceeded the system must identify the individual radionuclides.
Health effects
Beta and photon emitters deliver a radiation dose when ingested. Long-term exposure increases the risk of cancer; strontium-90 concentrates in bone and tritium is distributed through body water. The limit is a dose-based standard rather than a concentration.
The standard and what a violation means
EPA limit: 4 millirem per year to the total body or any organ; a gross beta screening level of 50 pCi/L triggers identification of the specific radionuclides.
Water systems with a Gross Beta Particle Activity violation, by state
Active public water systems that reported at least one related violation to EPA in the past three years. Each state links to the list of its affected systems.
| State | Systems with violations, 3 yr | Share of active systems | In violation, latest quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 110 | 9% | 0 |
| Alabama | 13 | 2% | 0 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 0% | 0 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | 0% | 0 |
Largest water systems with a Gross Beta Particle Activity violation
The ten biggest systems, by people served, whose records include a related violation in the past three years.
| System | Serves | Status | Rules violated, 3 yr | Unresolved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fairhope, City of Fairhope · Baldwin County |
59,850 | 1 | 0 | |
|
Moore Public Works Authority Cleveland County |
55,083 | 4 | 0 | |
|
South Alabama Utilities Water System Citronelle · Mobile County |
39,249 | 3 | 0 | |
|
Penn State Univ Centre County |
37,000 | 2 | 0 | |
|
Daphne, Utilities Board of the City of Daphne · Baldwin County |
33,372 | 2 | 0 | |
|
Tinker Air Force Base Oklahoma County |
24,645 | 4 | 1 | |
|
Selma, the WW and SB of the City of Selma · Dallas County |
21,834 | 2 | 1 | |
|
Talladega Water & Sewer Dept, City of Talladega · Talladega County |
20,250 | 1 | 0 | |
|
FT Mitchell Water System, Inc. Russell County |
14,400 | 1 | 0 | |
|
Pike County Water Authority Troy · Pike County |
12,021 | 2 | 0 |
About this data
A system is counted once if any of its violations in the past three years involved Gross Beta Particle Activity, including monitoring and reporting lapses. Rules violated and status in the systems table are for the whole system, not Gross Beta Particle Activity alone. Counts cover active systems in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Source: the U.S. EPA's Enforcement and Compliance History Online system (ECHO), which publishes the federal Safe Drinking Water Information System. EPA's terms and values are shown as published. The records are from EPA's data refresh of Oct 7, 2026; EPA refreshes this data quarterly, and states report to EPA with a lag of three to six months, so the newest violations may not appear yet.