Radionuclides · 2024
Gross Alpha in Birmingham, AL tap water
Birmingham, AL's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report shows Gross Alpha at or above the federal limit (15 pCi/L MCL). Measured value is 2.5× the threshold.
The measurement
| Statistic | Value | Federal limit |
|---|---|---|
Maximum System-wide | 1.1 pCi/L | 15 pCi/L MCL |
Maximum System-wide | Not detected pCi/L | 15 pCi/L MCL |
Maximum System-wide | Not detected pCi/L | 15 pCi/L MCL |
Maximum System-wide | 37.7 pCi/L | 15 pCi/L MCL |
Verbatim from Birmingham, AL's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — source document ↗
About Gross Alpha
Gross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances.
Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases cancer risk.
How Birmingham, AL compares
3 of the 186 systems measuring Gross Alpha on The Water Map have it at or above the federal limit:
Nearby systems also reporting Gross Alpha:
People also ask
+Is there Gross Alpha in Birmingham, AL tap water?
Yes — Birmingham, AL's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report lists Gross Alpha at 37.7 pCi/L. Birmingham, AL's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report shows Gross Alpha at or above the federal limit (15 pCi/L MCL). Measured value is 2.5× the threshold.
+What's the federal limit for Gross Alpha in drinking water?
The federal MCL for Gross Alpha is 15 pCi/L. The EPA enforces this against the regulated reporting statistic (running annual average or 90th percentile), not a single-sample spike.
+What is Gross Alpha?
Gross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases cancer risk.
+Which other U.S. cities have Gross Alpha over the federal limit?
3 of the 186 systems on The Water Map measuring Gross Alpha report it at or above the federal limit. Examples include Pomona, CA, Burbank, CA, Albuquerque, NM.
+Where does this Gross Alpha measurement come from?
This page reproduces the Gross Alpha entry from the 2024 Consumer Confidence Report published by the Birmingham, AL water utility — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived at /water/al/birmingham/2024/source.