Radon risk in Provo & Utah County

Radon is a radioactive gas you can’t see, smell, or taste. It forms naturally in soil and rock, then moves up through the ground and can collect inside buildings. When you breathe in radon over time, it can damage your lungs. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, and it can affect anyone—especially people who spend a lot of time indoors.

Why Provo and Utah County should pay attention

Utah County has a serious radon problem. Alpha Energy Laboratories reports that Utah County averages 4.7 pCi/L (picocuries per liter). That is one of the highest county averages in Utah, and it affects nearly half of all homes tested. In other words, if you live in Utah County, there is a real chance your home could have elevated radon—even if your home looks clean, new, and well built.

Radon levels can vary from one neighborhood to the next, and even from one house to the house next door. But cities across the county, including Provo, Orem, Spanish Fork, and Payson, regularly test above the World Health Organization (WHO) mitigation threshold of 2.7 pCi/L. Because radon comes from the ground, the only way to know your home’s level is to test.

What the numbers mean

The WHO recommends fixing (mitigating) a home when radon levels reach 2.7 pCi/L. Compare that to Utah County’s average of 4.7 pCi/L. That means the average Utah County home is nearly double the WHO’s recommended action level.

This matters because radon exposure is usually unknowingly happening. You can live in a home for years without realizing radon is building up in the basement or ground floor. Over time, breathing radon increases the risk of lung cancer. The risk is higher for people who smoke, but radon is still dangerous for non-smokers.

How radon gets into homes

Radon enters through cracks and openings in the lowest parts of a building. Common entry points include:

• Cracks in concrete floors or foundation walls
• Gaps around pipes, drains, or sump pumps
• Crawl spaces and unfinished basements
• Construction joints and small holes in the foundation

Homes in Utah County often have basements, which can make it easier for radon to collect in lower levels if there is not enough ventilation.

What you can do

Testing for radon is simple and inexpensive, and it is the first step to protecting your household. If your test result is high, mitigation systems can reduce radon levels by venting gas safely outside.

Take action now: get a free radon test and find out your home’s radon level. It only takes a short time to set up, and the results can give you peace of mind—or a clear reason to fix the problem before it harms your health.