Here is an example. Assuming that all of the radium in the drinking water is radium-226, then a 10-year-old child drinking 2 L of water per day at 5.0 pCi/L would receive a dose of 10.9 millirem (mRem) per year. The same child drinking 2 L of water at 6.0 pCi/L a day, would receive a dose of 13 mRem/year.

(This example is a conservative scenario where all radium is assumed to be radium-226. In reality, the water contains a mixture of radium-226 and radium-228, and radium-228 gives a lower dose than radium-226 for that 10-year-old child.)

Comparing that with other sources of radium exposure:

• Minnesotans receive between 200-400 mRem annually from natural sources.
• A chest X-ray gives a dose of 10 mRem. 
• A dental panoramic X-ray gives a dose of approximately 2.5 mRem.
• A 3-hour flight gives a dose of roughly 1 mRem.
• People living in Denver receive an annual dose of 80 mRem due to the cosmic radiation at high altitude. In comparison, people living at sea level receive an annual dose of 30 mRem from cosmic radiation.

The difference in drinking 2 liters of water per day at the 5.0 pCi/L concentration versus at 6.0 pCi/L is just over 2 mRem for the whole year. This is similar to the dose a person would receive from taking one round-trip flight (3 hours each way). 

If you are planting a bare root, container grown, or balled and burlapped (B&B) tree it is a good practice to stake the tree for the first growing season.  There are several conditions that justify staking a tree to ensure solid root establishment such as settling soils, high winds and animals. It is recommended that the staking be done using 3 posts, a wide, flexible tying material (not rope), and positioned in a triangular orientation to stabilize the tree properly.  It is recommended to remove the staking material at the beginning of the second growing season to allow the tree to develop lateral strength.

Irrigation systems are typically designed to water turfgrass plants which are the majority of plants found in lawns.  In order to establish a tree properly, it is best to hand water or use a water bag for at least the first growing season depending on the soil conditions and rainfall.  Watering guidelines for newly planted trees can be found here: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden

Occasionally your water system may experience hard water or calcium deposits in your sink basins, shower tiles, or on the faucets. These mineral deposits, although harmless, will build up over time leaving a hard scale substance. These deposits can be cleaned off with a mild scouring pad and vinegar, Lime Away, Simple Green, CLR or other products sold at local retail stores. Follow label directions for best results.

The proper planting depth is dictated by the root flare, the area where the first larger root and the trunk meet.  The root flare should be exposed and visible at the existing soil level.  Planting a tree at the proper depth will mitigate any future problems caused by stem girdling roots.  For more detailed information on tree planting guidelines please visit: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden   

The City of Savage recommends flushing out the home plumbing twice per year, or when water is discolored or carries an unpleasant odor. Please use the following steps:

1. If the home has a water softener, bypass it temporarily.
2. Remove any filters on the end of your faucets, if possible.
3. Open all cold-water faucets and let run for 5 minutes.

Following the above steps will result in removal of loose sediment from your water system and ensures high quality, fresh water for your home or business.

Trees are living plants, and all living plants require maintenance.  The species or type of tree will largely determine how much or how little maintenance is required for optimal health.  The most basic needs of trees are water, sunlight, and space.  Maintenance practices will improve the conditions of the trees as well as the environments surrounding them to promote the availability of these basic needs. Those needs can fluctuate with the environmental conditions that are present either at the time or for the duration of a season. 

Several things can increase your usage in a month. Here are some to keep in mind:

1. Some water softeners use between 200 - 400 gallons each time they are set to regenerate. A water softener should regenerate approximately every other week for a family of four. Warmer weather means more showers, baths, and outside water usage. Holidays - keep in mind extra guests means more water used!
2. Possible leaks - toilet, sink or outside faucet.

There are several tree pests/diseases that have been posing significant issues with our urban forest.  The following list and affected tree species are just a guide, scouting your trees and monitoring your tree’s health is the best way to identify any issues.  Environmental conditions have a significant role in the types of pest and disease issues so be aware of seasonal changes.  Contact a certified arborist or tree inspector to properly diagnose any issues you may see.

• Ash-Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
• Oaks-Two-lined Chestnut Borer (TLCB), Oak Wilt
• Elms-Dutch Elm Disease (DED)
• Conifers-Conifer Sawflies

In the long-term, some cities may need to upgrade their aging treatment plant as older equipment cannot efficiently remove radium.

The longest duration for a community public water supply to be out of compliance is typically 3- 5 years to fund, design and build a water treatment plant. During this time, the public is provided updates and public education every three months. Historically, communities have not provided bottled water to residents during these times, because, again, the health risk is not acute and the water is safe to drink.

It’s important for city residents to be kept informed of developments as these projects move forward and problems are addressed. City officials can provide the most current information on their website. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the city is also required to notify the public every three months about the exceedance, until they are back below the MCL for four quarters.

Natural and human-made radiation surround you every day. About half of the radiation you come in contact with each year is from natural sources, like the sun, soil, and rocks. The other half comes from human-made sources, like medical tests (x-rays) and treatments and building and road construction materials.

Each source of radiation gives you a different dose of radiation. For example, a radiation medical treatment has an extremely high dose of radiation compared to the very low dose of radiation you get from drinking water with radionuclides.

Your lifestyle can also affect how much radiation you come in contact with. Flying in airplanes, living at high altitude, living near a coal mine, and some jobs (like underground mining) put you in contact with higher doses of radiation. Learn more about radiation at Doses in Our Daily Lives.

Drinking water that has radium levels near the federal drinking water standards puts you in contact with very low doses of radiation every day.

Exposure to radium above the drinking water standards, when combined with other sources of radiation exposure, can slightly increase your lifetime risk of developing cancer or kidney problems.

Exposure to radiation can cause different types of health effects depending on the source of radioactivity, how much radiation you are exposed to (total dose), and how long you are exposed to the radiation.

Drinking water with radium levels near the drinking water standard for a few months or even a few years does not measurably increase someone’s risk of getting cancer from the water.

The MCL for radium is extremely protective of public health.

The federal drinking water standard for combined radium 226/228, or Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), is 5 pCi/L. A person drinking 2L of water a day for 70 years with radium levels at or below the MCL would not have an increased risk of health effects (namely cancer). Drinking water that is just above the MCL would only pose a minimal and largely theoretical increased health risk, again, if consumed at the rate of 2L/day for a lifetime (70 years).

One would need to drink water with concentrations of radium many times greater than the MCL for a long time before there would be the potential of harm to someone’s health.

The current situation does not represent an immediate health risk, but it is one the city needs to address, as it is important to keep everyone’s exposure to radium as low as reasonably achievable.

The radium MCL is intentionally calculated to result in very low risks

The MCL is based on data that the EPA has gathered and analyzed from human studies at very high concentrations then used with health protective assumptions to reflect the risk that is possible at much lower concentrations.

When cancer is the health concern, the MCLs are intentionally calculated to be low enough to result in very low risks. The risks are on the order of not more than a 1 in 10,000 chance to probably much less, like a 1 in 1,000,000 chance of an excess cancer occurring in a population consuming the water regularly for a lifetime.

One would need to drink water with concentrations of radium many times greater than the MCL for a long time before there would be the potential of harm to someone’s health. 

Water from the Savage Water Treatment plant is on the average 19 grains hard. Another way to express this is 317 parts per million of total hardness measured as CaCo3. This is moderately hard water.