Carroll County updates public on radium tests and wastewater control-box work that could require temporary pumping

Carroll County officials told the commission on June 2 that a high radium reading late last year has forced more frequent testing and that scheduled electrical work at the wastewater plant and water-tank construction could require temporary pumping or other contingency measures.

The county’s public works presenter, identified in the meeting as a staff member (Cody), said the county recorded a radium 226/228 result of 27 during fourth-quarter testing last year — well above the typical maximum of 5 used in the county’s testing regimen — and that the county has since returned to readings of about 2.25 and 2.0 in subsequent quarters. “We had 27, that came up last in fourth quarter,” the staff member said. “So what that does is it puts you into now every quarter we have to test for this…until our yearly average comes…