A radon mitigation specialist with Bergmann Plumbing and Heating in Morden is strongly encouraging residents of the Pembina Valley to have their homes tested for radon, and from their findings, especially if you live in Morden.

Radon is an invisible, odourless and tasteless radioactive gas that is produced naturally by the breakdown of uranium in the ground and can find its way into our homes. The radioactive gas is also known to cause lung cancer.

From the testing they have done, Bergmann Plumbing and Heating's John Froese says they have found substantially higher radon levels in homes in Morden compared to some of the surrounding communities like Carman and Winkler. "We just want to promote awareness, because so many people have no idea that they're sitting on this, and until you actually test, you don't really know where you're at."

According to Health Canada, a safe level of radon would be under 200 becquerels per cubic metre. Froese says in the houses they have tested, they have seen numbers as high as over 3,000, and quite a few homes over 2,000. Those readings were found in Morden.

Froese says some people might think radon could only creep into older homes, however, he says it's actually prevalent in a lot of new homes built in the last 20 years. "These houses are sealed . . . it's like a thermos, and yet because of that tightly sealed home, it seems to cause this pressure that brings radon gas in."

In the Province of Ontario, Froese notes legislation has been passed making contractors liable to remediate at their own cost if, within the first 7 years of construction, a home is tested to have radon levels over the 200 mark. "Right now we're not at that here, but I can see that coming in (to Manitoba) within the next few years because of our high levels."

If your home tests high for radon, it's a problem that can easily be corrected. "We actually do a lot of remediation . . . in houses that have been as high as 3,200 becquerels. We got that down to under 100."

Froese says remediation is done with a sub-slab pressurization system, which prevents radon from coming in. He notes Bergmann Plumbing and Heating offers to test for radon at no cost.