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32 05 /04/01 NEWS RELEASE EMBARGOED UNTIL 5/ 1 /01 New USGS/County Ground Water Report Finds Higher than Normal Radon Activity in Some Parts of County Contact : Rosemary Summers 245 = 2411 , Ron Holdway 245 = 2360 , David Stancil 245 = 2597 On Tuesday , May 1st , the Board of Commissioners received a three - year Ground Water Resource Investigation conducted by the U . S . Geological Survey . As a part of the study , a thorough analysis of water quality was conducted at 51 wells across the County . Among the study findings were elevated radon activity in some wells . Radon is a naturally occurring invisible odorless gas that comes from deposits of uranium in soil , rock and water Radon is a natural by - product of the decay process . Generally speaking , the wells with higher radon activity in Orange County are clustered in an area west southwest of Carrboro . High radon activity was also uncovered by USGS in 1997 as part of a similar study in Guilford County . The likely cause for this elevated activity is the presence of a relatively new ( in geologic terms ) granitic pluton of bedrock that underlies this area and extends into northern Chatham County . The same type of underlying geology was noted in the 1997 Guilford County study . Since the report findings were made available , County staff from the Health Department and the Environment and Resource Conservation Department have discussed the report findings . The Health Department has consulted with experts at the NC DHHS Division of Health Services and the NC DENR Division of Radiation Protection to evaluate the data on radon in this report . The radon levels as reported are not a cause for concern for any of the wells tested . The levels of radon in drinking water that would cause concern are far higher than any of those found in this study . Radon in water is primarily of concern because of the release of the radon into the air when the water is used in the home . Drinking the water is not the primary risk factor . Exposure to radon is the second - leading cause of lung cancer in the United States . To assist homeowners with questions about radon , a fact sheet has been prepared by the Health Department and will be available at the May 1st meeting . The fact sheet is also posted to the County web site , and may be downloaded at www . co . orange , nc . us/ health / hot . htm Environmental Health Services has a limited number of air testing kits available for residents that may be concerned about the radon level in their homes . Residents that are concerned may call Ron Holdway at 245 - 2360 .