Radon Mitigation in Washington Township, PA
Updated
PA DEP has 6,442 home radon tests on record from the ZIP codes that cover Washington Township (17316, 17019, 17365). 46.4% came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level, against 52.5% for York County as a whole. That is lower than the county as a whole, but it is still close to half of all tests. A standard system here typically costs $800 to $1,500. The only way to know about one house is to test it.
Washington Township is a township in York County with about 2,603 residents and 1,072 homes, median year built 1978. It includes Kralltown. The Henry and Elizabeth Berkheimer Farm is on the National Register of Historic Places. 46.4% of PA DEP radon tests in its ZIP codes came back at or above the action level, below the county's 52.5%.
What the PA DEP test records show for Washington Township
ZIP codes don't follow township lines, so the 3 ZIP codes below also take in some homes just outside Washington Township.
| ZIP | Tests | Median pCi/L | 4+ pCi/L | 10+ | 20+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17316 | 144 | 3.2 | 44.4% | 16% | 3.5% |
| 17019 | 5,858 | 3.6 | 47.4% | 20.1% | 6.9% |
| 17365 | 440 | 2.8 | 33.6% | 10.2% | 4.5% |
| York County | 98,845 | 4.3 | 52.5% | 26.8% | 13.1% |
- ZIP 17316 (about 49% of Washington Township's land): median 3.2 pCi/L across 144 tests, 3.5% at 20 or higher, top reading 22. Basement median 3.6.
- ZIP 17019 (about 22% of Washington Township's land): median 3.6 pCi/L across 5,858 tests, 6.9% at 20 or higher, top reading 228. Basement median 4, first floor 1.8.
- ZIP 17365 (about 20% of Washington Township's land): median 2.8 pCi/L across 440 tests, 4.5% at 20 or higher, top reading 92. Basement median 3, first floor 0.9.
The spread inside Washington Township runs from 33.6% of tests high in 17365 to 47.4% in 17019.
Look past the median to the high end. One test in 15 here came in at 20 pCi/L or more, five times the action level, and the highest reading on record is 228 pCi/L. Neighboring houses can differ by a factor of ten, so none of this tells you what your house is. It tells you the odds are high enough that a $15 to $30 test kit is worth buying.
Tests people chose to run, not a random survey. Details on the York County radon levels page.
Housing in Washington Township and what it means for a system
Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024:
| Washington Township | York County | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes (housing units) | 1,072 | 189,857 |
| Median year built | 1978 | 1976 |
| Built before 1940 | 21.5% | 18.3% |
| Built before 1980 | 55.2% | 54.8% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23.4% | 20.6% |
| Single-family detached | 88.9% | 64.3% |
| Attached (rowhome, townhouse) | 0% | 17.1% |
| Mobile homes | 10.1% | 4.1% |
| Owner-occupied | 93.9% | 76.3% |
10.1% of homes in Washington Township are mobile or manufactured homes, well above the county's 4.1%. Those sit over a crawlspace or skirted pad rather than a basement, and the fix is different: a sealed membrane over the soil with suction under it. See crawlspace radon for what that involves.
88.9% of homes in Washington Township are single-family detached. A detached house with a basement is the easiest layout to mitigate: one suction point through the slab, a fan outside or in the garage, and a vent above the roof line. It is the standard sub-slab depressurization job covered step by step on our mitigation process page, and it usually lands in the middle of the cost range.
Cost-wise, a basement house here is the standard $800 to $1,500 job, while a mobile home or crawlspace house usually runs $1,500 to $3,000 because of the membrane work. Full ranges on the cost page.
Where we work in Washington Township
The Henry and Elizabeth Berkheimer Farm is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Installers must hold a PA DEP radon mitigation certification (how to check), and permit questions go to the township office at washingtontownshipyc.net.
Common questions
Is radon a problem in Washington Township?
Yes. PA DEP has 6,442 tests on record from the ZIP codes covering Washington Township, and 46.4% of them came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level. 6.7% were at 20 pCi/L or more. The county-wide rate is 52.5%.
What is the average radon level in ZIP 17316?
The median of 144 PA DEP tests in ZIP 17316 is 3.2 pCi/L and the mean is 5.1 pCi/L. The top reading on record there is 22 pCi/L.
Nearby
Carroll Township 47.4%, Dillsburg 47.4%, Dover Borough 44.2%, Wellsville 33.6%, Franklin Township 47.4%. Share of PA DEP tests at or above 4.0 pCi/L, against 46.4% here.
Have a test result from Washington Township?
Send us the number and the foundation type, or call and read it out.
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