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Radon testing

HomeEnvironmentAir qualityRadon testing
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Environment

What is radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in the ground throughout the world. You cannot see, taste or smell it. Most buildings will contain some amount of radon gas, but the only way to know if levels are high is to conduct a radon test.

How does radon get indoors?

Radon takes the easiest path into buildings through rocks, soil, dirt and concrete floors and foundation seams. Heating and ventilation systems influence radon levels too. During the cooler months, windows and doors are often closed and rising warm air enables radon to escape from the ground indoors.

How radon enters a home

Source: Natural Resources Canada, contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada

Why care?

Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking and is the number one environmental cancer-causing agent. According to the radon potential map for British Columbia, the relative radon hazard for most of the Central Okanagan area is considered Zone 1-High.

  • Radon Awareness Facebook Live webinar - October 26, 2022
  • Central Okanagan Radon Test Kit Challenge Community Reports Results
  • Webinar Community Results 2020 - Aug. 18, 2021

The British Columbia Lung Foundation states that Canadians spend 90% of their day indoors, with about 70% at home and 20% at work or school. The air we breathe indoor can contain particulates, gases, allergens and fumes that can significantly impact our health in both the short and long term. Knowing the main indoor air pollutants, their sources, and how to reduce them are key to reducing harm to our health.

Health Canada recommends efforts should be taken to get radon to as far below the Canadian Guideline of 200 Bq/m3. To determine radon levels, buildings should be tested. Most buildings can reduce the radon to levels well below the guideline at reasonable costs.

Fall 2022 - free radon test kit program

 

The Central Okanagan Air Quality program with the support of Interior Health, Take Action on Radon and all local governments provided a limited number of FREE radon test kits and a radon awareness webinar to interested participants within the Central Okanagan to test their indoor environment.

No area is radon free, and elevated radon levels can be found in all types of buildings, homes, workplaces, schools, etc.

  • During 2022, our program targeted residential dwellings (owners and renters), general workplaces and specifically Medical Professional Buildings.

Resources:

  • CARST Radon Workplace Information. If you or your employees work in an indoor environment, you should test your workplace for radon.
  • BC Lung Foundation Radon in the Workplace-. Employers are responsible to ensure a safe work environment for their employees. 
Radon test kit process
Radon test kit process

Process

Description

Timeline 2022

Online registration opens

Registration is first come-first served basis, evenly distributed through local governments:

 

  • Approximately 43 kits (owners/renters/general workplaces) per local government
  • Approximately 26 kits specifically for Medical Professional Buildings per local government

Sept. 20 to 29

Detectors assigned and confirmed

On a first register, first-serve basis, registrants will receive a second email confirming that ONE detector kit has been assigned to them.

Oct. 11 to 14

Radon awareness webinar

Available to test kit recipients and the public

 

Link to free Facebook Live Webinar.

  • Lunch and Learn “Radon in the Workplace” for workplaces/employers
  • “Radon awareness” for general public

 

BC Lung Foundation webinars

  • Radon for renters 
    • Oct. 26 - 3 p.m.
    • Nov. 8 - 12 p.m.

Oct. 26 

12 p.m. 

6:30 p.m.

 

Pick up radon detector test kit

Pick up at your local government Community location.

Oct 31 to Nov 4

Reassign and pick up of unclaimed detector test kits

Additional pre-registrations will be kept on a waiting list in case a detector test kit is not picked up and becomes available.  In that case an email confirmation will be sent to people on the waiting list.

Nov. 7 to 10

Deploy radon detector test kit

Follow the Instructions

  • Residential
  • Workplaces

You must complete the Start/End Survey to receive your results.

Leave the detector in place for at least 91 days

Return and drop off radon test kit detectors

Return/drop off at local government community location where you picked it up.

Feb 21 to 24, 2023

Who qualifies for the free radon detection program?

Central Okanagan residents including property owners, tenants and workplace occupants within:

  • City of Kelowna
  • Regional District - Central Okanagan East and Central Okanagan West electoral areas
  • City of West Kelowna
  • District of Lake Country
  • District of Peachland
  • Westbank First Nation

A limited number of test kits are available in 2022:

Radon detectors available
Radon detectors availableTarget

130

Owners/tenants

130

General workplaces

160

Workplace-Medical Professional Buildings

 

Limited to one free radon detector test kit per property; owners, tenants or workplaces.

  • Pre-registration starts on Tuesday September 20 and closes Thursday September 29, 2022, or after all available test kits were pre-assigned.
  • After 420 applicable pre-registrations, interested participants will be put on a waiting list.

 

Community pick up and return locations
Registered residents living within:Test kit pick up collection location Monday, Oct. 31 to Friday, Nov. 4Drop off / return after 91 days Feb. 21 to 24, 2023
Westbank First Nation

Community Services building

1900 Quail Lane, Westbank V4T 2H3

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
City of West Kelowna

West Kelowna City Hall

2760 Cameron Road, West Kelowna V1Z 2T6

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
District of Lake Country

Municipal office

10150 Bottom Wood Lake Road, Lake Country V4V 2M1

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
City of Kelowna

City Hall

1435 Water Street, Kelowna V1Y 1J4

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
RDCO - Central Okanagan East / Central Okanagan West

Regional District of Central Okanagan

1450 KLO Road, Kelowna, V1W 3Z4

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
District of Peachland

Peachland Community Centre

4450 6th Street, Peachland V0H 1X6

8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday - Thursday

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday

12 to 4 p.m. Sunday

 

Submitting tests

All test kits that are returned to the collection points above between February 21 to 24, 2023 will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. 

  • Those participants that received a free radon kit must complete the mandatoryStart/End Survey to receive their confidential test results in spring 2023.

If you miss the drop off dates  - Your radon test kit can still be analyzed.  You are responsible for the cost of mailing it to the lab for analysis.

  • For free radon detectors mail to:  Take Action on Radon, 4 Donald McClintock Bay, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2G 3N3

Radon  mitigation grant

  1. (New) The Lung Association - view mitigation grant program eligibility and requirements
  2. The Regional Air Quality Program and Take Action on Radon developed a radon mitigation grant for the residents within the RDCO.

Thanks for your interest, all funds have been allocated to 48 Central Okanagan residents.  While there's no guarantee a new mitigation grant will be available in our region, if there is you will find information here and through RDCO social media.  Please follow to be informed of any future rebate opportunities.

Health Canada recommends that every home should be tested for radon using a 91-day radon test.  The Government of Canada has established a Guideline level for radon of 200 Bq/m3 and recommends that any home that tests above this level should be mitigated.

The most effective radon mitigation method is an Active Soil Depressurization (ASD) system. This system collects the radon from beneath the home’s foundation and exhausts it directly outside before it has a chance to enter the home.  These systems can reduce indoor radon levels by over 90%, but they need to be installed by a professional.  Canada has a certification program for radon professionals; the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP), with radon professionals available across the country. 

For many Canadians, the cost of installing an ASD system can defer mitigation prolonging the potential health risks of high, indoor radon level. The cost of installing an ASD mitigation system in a home varies based on the construction of the home and its location; it can range from approximately $1,000 up to $ 9,000, with an average system installation cost of $ 2,800.

This mitigation grant (now closed) responded to the needs of the Central Okanagan community with the intent of encouraging residents to reduce elevated of radon levels.

Requirements

  • Home address should be within the limits of:
    • City of Kelowna
    • City of West Kelowna
    • Westbank First Nation
    • District of Lake Country
    • District of Peachland
    • RDCO Central Okanagan East and Central Okanagan West electoral areas
  • The program reimbursed up to 80% of the mitigation cost if you have used a C-NRPP professional. The reimbursement is up to $500 or up to $1500 for those that applied for the low income amount.
  • First come, first served. Limited funding, based on availability.
  • Mitigation must be completed  by C-NRPP Certified professionals
  • Must complete the online application in full and upload the mitigation service invoice:
  • In order to qualify for the low income amount, you must meet the low income criteria specified by CRA here and you must upload your previous year Income Tax Assessment form to confirm you qualify.
  • Mitigation service invoice must contain same full name and mitigation address of the applicant
  • Mitigation service invoice date should be on or after March 1, 2021.

Test results

March 2023 - Participants are receiving their test results by email. We encourage participants to check their email inbox or junk email to access their radon monitoring report.  Thanks for participating.

Health Canada and health experts recommend action should be taken to reduce radon exposure.

Radon level test results
Fix nowFix soon

If your radon levels are

600+ Bq/m3

If your radon levels are

200 to 600 Bq/m3

You should aim to reduce your radon within one year

You should aim to reduce your radon within two years

  • Understanding your test results
  • Find a certified radon professional to help fix the radon level in your home or business.

School Screening Project 2020-2022

In September 2020, the Air Quality program successfully applied and received $20,200 in funding from Health Canada for a Radon Outreach Project. The project’s goal is: by initiating screening of radon levels on selected schools in the Central Okanagan, school operators will learn how easy it is to test for radon, get radon on their agenda, mitigate where necessary to lower radon exposure to children and staff, and through and online campaign raise radon awareness region-wide.

This is a collaborative project with School District 23, Independent Schools, Interior Health, CARST and Health Canada and will see 55 elementary schools screened for radon in 2020-2022. 

  • School screening results 2021-2022

Frequently asked questions

My home is new. Should I still test for radon?

It's always a good idea to have your house tested. Please see Interior Health's pdf on radon in your new home.

 

The Radon Provisions of the BC Building Code, 2018 changed. Under Division B Section 9.13.4. Soil Gas Control, there are requirements for a rough-ins for a subfloor depressurization system.

 

Homes still need to be tested after occupancy.

 

If radon levels are high, the completion of a subfloor depressurization system may be necessary to reduce the radon concentration to a level below the guideline specified by Health Canada.

Buying a new or older home and you would like to know its radon levels?

In BC, according to the BC Financial Services Authority’s Radon Precautions Guidelines real estate professionals have the duty to advise sellers and landlords that radon levels of 200 Bq/m3 or more constitute a material latent defect and must be disclosed to buyers and tenants.

Where can I purchase a radon test kit?

Options:

  • BC Lung Foundation: Purchase a test kit or call them at 1-800-665-5864
  • Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists: find a “do it yourself” test kit supplier

Please note that long-term kits are recommended (91 days) during the cold weather heating season.

How does the test kit work?

Long term radon detectors are most commonly alpha track devices.

 

Alpha track detectors contain a small piece of plastic which gets ‘etched’ or marked by the energy that is released from the radon decay process. This mark on the plastic is from the same impact that can damage your lung tissue, however on the plastic inside the detector it leaves a mark that can be counted by the lab.

Where do I send my radon test?

Your kit will have instructions on it with where to submit the radon detector.

Where can I read more?

  • BC Centre for Disease Control - BC Radon Map and Repository Data
  • Health Canada: What is Radon
  • Health Canada: Radon: What you need to know
  • Interior Health: Radon (pdf)
  • Interior Health: Radon causes lung cancer
  • Video: Plan to Be Here – Take Action on Radon
  • Video: Radon: Is it in Your Home?
  • Video: Mike Holmes on Radon
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Regional District of Central Okanagan

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Phone: 250-763-4918
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The RDCO acknowledges our presence on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ (land) of the syilx / Okanagan people who have resided here since time immemorial. We recognize, honour, and respect the syilx / Okanagan lands upon which we live, work, and play.

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