State health officials are advising private well owners in the Newport Center area to test their water after a study found elevated levels of naturally occurring uranium and gross alpha radiation in some wells on the north side of Vance Hill Road.
The testing, conducted in April 2026, was a collaboration between the Vermont Department of Health, the Vermont Geological Survey, and Middlebury College researchers. Tom DeBell, an environmental health engineer with the health department, said the issue has been known in the Newport area for years. The recent project built on existing data to pinpoint areas of concern.
According to DeBell, roughly one in three private wells tested in Newport Town showed elevated gross alpha radiation. Some wells had uranium levels about three times the federal standard, while others had gross alpha radiation levels 20 times the acceptable limit.
NEK will be looking into what follow-up resources or mitigation programs the state is making available to affected homeowners.
Photo: isens usa via Unsplash. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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