Is There Gross Alpha in Middlefield, CT Water? (ZIP 06455)
Yes. Gross Alpha has been detected in the public water serving Middlefield, CT (ZIP 06455) in every sample tested — a contaminant with no established safe level, so any detection matters.
Federal legal limits and stricter health guidelines are not the same — enter your household below for a report on what this means for the specific people in your home.
What is Gross Alpha?
Gross alpha activity is a screening measurement for alpha-emitting radioactive particles in water, including radium-226, radon, and uranium. It indicates the total level of alpha radiation rather than a single contaminant. The EPA maximum contaminant level is 15 picocuries per liter, excluding radon and uranium. Elevated gross alpha levels are associated with increased cancer risk, particularly bone and lung cancer.
Who is most at risk in Middlefield?
Gross Alpha matters most for infants, pregnancy — a radioactive contaminant with no safe level — developing tissues in infants and during pregnancy are more sensitive to radiation. The safe level for these groups is stricter than for a healthy adult.
How to remove Gross Alpha from your water
Install a point-of-use reverse osmosis system certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 58 for radium and uranium reduction, as these are the most common contributors to elevated gross alpha readings.
Use a cation exchange water softener to reduce radium, which is often the primary source of gross alpha activity in groundwater from sedimentary aquifers.
If uranium is the primary contributor, an anion exchange resin system is more targeted, since dissolved uranium typically carries a negative charge in groundwater.
Request a full radiological analysis from a certified laboratory to identify which specific radionuclides are contributing to the gross alpha reading.
See what Gross Alpha means for your household
Get a free report personalized to the people in your home — infants, pregnancy, children, elderly, and pets.
Check 06455 Water NowHow Middlefield compares
Across Connecticut, Gross Alpha is detected in 136 of the communities we track, and is above a limit or standard in 21. In Middlefield (06455), it was found in every sample tested.
Gross Alpha in nearby Connecticut towns:
Other contaminants of concern in Middlefield (06455)
Last updated July 2026.