Radionuclides · 2024

Gross Alpha in City of Cupertino, CA tap water

Within the federal limit· 0.2× the limit

City of Cupertino, CA's 2024 Gross Alpha measurement is below the federal limit of 15 pCi/L (MCL).

The measurement

StatisticValue
Average
Mountain Surface Water
Not detected pCi/L
Range
VW Surface Water
3.3 pCi/L
Average
Groundwater
Not detected pCi/L
Average
VW Surface Water
3.3 pCi/L
Range
Groundwater
0–5.66 pCi/L
Range
Mountain Surface Water
0–5.19 pCi/L

Verbatim from City of Cupertino, CA'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 City of Cupertino, CA compares

4 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 City of Cupertino, CA tap water?

Yes — City of Cupertino, CA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report lists Gross Alpha at 3.3 pCi/L. City of Cupertino, CA's 2024 Gross Alpha measurement is below the federal limit of 15 pCi/L (MCL).

+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?

4 of the 186 systems on The Water Map measuring Gross Alpha report it at or above the federal limit. Examples include Pomona, CA, Birmingham, AL, Burbank, CA.

+Where does this Gross Alpha measurement come from?

This page reproduces the Gross Alpha entry from the 2024 Consumer Confidence Report published by the City of Cupertino, CA 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/ca/cupertino/2024/source.

Full report
All City of Cupertino, CA water-quality data →
Every contaminant measured in the 2024 report.
Contaminant pillar
Gross Alpha across the U.S. →
Every public water system measuring Gross Alpha, ranked.