Ten Years Later

A bit under 10 years ago Prince William Board of County Supervisors announced its intent to sell the old Thomasson Dairy Barn, on Hornbaker Road in Innovation Park, in Manassas along with 6 acres of land surrounding the site, for $1 million to Silva Holdings, Co. 

Mr. Silva had initially considered the old Thomasson Dairy Barn as the site for his destination Farm Brewery and after giving up plans for a Clifton location approached the Prince William County Department of Economic Development and negotiated a deal.

 “The preservation and reuse of the Thomasson Barn has long been a desire of the Board and is identified as a strategic priority in our Comprehensive Plan,” said the Chairman, of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors at the time- Corey Stewart. “The planned use as a microbrewery and bistro will provide an amenity for the companies located in and around Innovation Park and will make the area even more attractive for companies that are considering locating to the area.”

Silva Holdings agreed to restore the historical landmark which will be incorporated into a destination brewery, bistro and distribution facility operating under the name 2 Silos Brewing Company. In addition to $8 million in capital investment, the project is expected to create more than 100 new jobs for our community and turn the Thomasson Dairy Barn from County surplus to gem.

2 Silos Barn in 2015 image from Prince William County

This restoration project was hoped to generate tax revenue, while enabling citizens and visitors to appreciate their rich agricultural heritage anew. Prince William County extended the road and brought access to public water and sewer to the site. The Thomasson Dairy Barn was zoned M1 and not part of the Rural Crescent, but rather part of the Innovation Plan. Though 2 Silos Brewing Company still managed to meet the requirement of Virginia SB 430 the law that created an easy to obtain limited brewery license for breweries that operate on a farm. It might have passed as agricultural a decade ago, but not today.

google maps in 2015

The Thomasson Dairy Barn was built in 1929 was once the milking barn of a dairy operated by William Thomasson. The barn was constructed using textile hollow-tile terracotta blocks and is an example of a two-story barn of that era, utilizing the two silos for grain feed storage, the first floor for milking cows and the second floor for hay storage. The protracted decline of the dairy industry in Prince William County led to the eventual ceasing of operations and barn had been vacant for over 50 years. As the Brentville Supervisor at the time, Jeanine Lawson said, “This project embodies the type of development I have been pushing for in Prince William County. It supports our agribusiness community, provides for family gatherings and enhances Innovation Park for our business community.”

google maps 2025 the building labled Black Sheep Restaurant is actually the old barn

Today, Two Silos is part of a multi venue compound. There's a restaurant (Black Sheep), a music venue (Farm Brew Live) where there is a stage where bands perform & a large open area for people to eat , drink & dance), a wedding/ events venue (Brentsville Hall), and a Malarkey Distillery expected to open soon. There are outdoor fire pits and a kids play area.  Surrounding the area is a series of data centers. Not exactly agricultural heritage, but very popular.

There has been lots of construction in the area, but not all you see is recent

Prince William is changing and all this is having both positive and negative effects on residents. In filings with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) yesterday, Dominion Energy Virginia proposed new base and fuel rates that will allow the company to continue delivering reliable and increasingly clean energy ( as required under the VECA law ) to its customers.

The company requested base rate increases of $8.51 per month in 2026 and $2.00 per month in 2027 for a typical residential customer. If approved, this would be the company’s first increase in base rates since 1992. The typical residential customer in Virginia (whoever that is) currently pays about $140. In July  a previously approved fuel rate increase goes into effect and will bring the typical customer bill to $150.92. This increase will further increase the typical customer bill to $159.43 on January 1, 2026- this is almost a 14% increase. The increase of $2.00 in 2027 will bring the increase to over 15%.

According to Dominion Energy "the request reflects significant inflationary pressures since 2023, when the company filed its last biennial case, including increases in the cost of labor, as well as materials and equipment such as cables and wires, utility poles, transformers and power generation equipment. The increase also reflects needed investments to reliably serve a growing customer base."

In addition to new rates, the company also proposed a new rate class for high energy users, including data centers, as well as new consumer protections to ensure these customers continue to pay the full cost of their service and other customers are protected from stranded costs if the data centers fail to turn on or close down after building the transmission lines, substations and power generation to supply them. Under the proposal, high energy users would be required to make a 14-year commitment to pay for their requested power – even if they use less. This is the approach that Ohio is taking to protect their resident customer base.

Reasons for Chlorinating a Well

Spring is here and it is an odd number year, so, I will be planning on chlorinating my well if. Though normally thought of as a method to sanitize a well contaminated with coliform bacteria, there are so many benefits of chlorination that you might want to consider it a regular part of home maintenance. I do it to knock back the iron bacteria and keep my water tasting good.

Iron bacteria, while not a health hazard, are an incredibly common nuisance in water wells, and once you have it you will always have it. I have never come across a well that did not have it. Iron bacteria are a type of reducing bacteria that uses dissolved iron in the water as an energy source and leave slimy deposits of red iron hydrate as a by-product. Reducing bacteria can also thrive on sulfur and/or manganese. Elevated levels of iron, manganese and sulfate in groundwater are ideal for iron bacteria to grow. Iron bacteria are present in soil and surface water in this area of Virginia and in many other parts of the country and can be introduced into a well during drilling or repair. There are tests that can look for these micro-biologicals. After testing my well for reducing bacteria about 15 years ago, I just began regularly chlorinating the well to keep the bacteria in check.

I test my well water each year either during the annual water clinic the Prince William Extension Office hosts or every few years from a private company for all primary and secondary pollutants under the safe drinking water act. Iron bacteria is not part of those tests. The standard bacteria tests do not test for iron bacteria. I tested my well water for iron/reducing bacteria after noticing the typical symptoms (slime in the orange toilet tank and foam in my ATU tank). The test found a significant levels of reducing bacteria present. National Testing Laboratories sells mail in test for $85 including shipping if you want to test your well. That is what I used. The test cost $150 when I bought it back in the day.

Now, I just monitor the iron bacteria by checking my toilet tanks. The slime from iron bacteria builds up in toilet tanks and can be felt on the flapper. Also, the iron bacteria makes it look orange in the tank. I’ve noticed that the slime builds up at different rates in different bathrooms, I’ve not figured out why that is, maybe use. Anyone who has thoughts on the topic or a theory share it in the comments.

Iron bacteria once introduced into the well cannot be easily wiped out. Instead, it continues to get worse, ultimately binding up your pump and fouling the well. Iron bacteria can grow on pump intakes and screens openings, reducing the yield and efficiency of the well. In addition, the bacteria will make the water smell and taste vaguely unpleasant. Iron bacteria also cause foam to form in the ATU tank of some kinds of alternative septic systems. A much earlier symptom is the slime on the toilet tank flipper. 

It is common practice to regularly treat public supply wells to prevent biofilm buildup from reducing bacteria and mineral encrustation. Preventive maintenance is to chemically treat and flush the production well.  However, this has not been  practiced in private water wells in the past. Now, several state health departments and Canadian Provinces are recommending the regular chlorination of private wells to push back the iron bacteria.

From Penn State Extension: “As a water well ages, the rate at which water may be pumped tends to decrease.” Penn State attributes this decrease in performance of a well to incrustations and biofouling (with reducing bacteria) of well screens and rock fractures or borehole, saying: “In severe cases, the obstruction to flowing water can render the well useless. Major forms of incrustations can occur from build-up of calcium and magnesium salts, iron and manganese compounds, or plugging caused by slime producing iron bacteria or other similar organisms (biofouling).”

Private well owners typically try to treat the symptoms rather than the cause of the problem. Eliminating iron bacteria once a well is heavily infested can be difficult. However, treating the well is your best chance for a fix that will last a couple of years.  Iron bacteria cannot be eliminated by most common water filtration methods or water softeners. Iron bacteria will foul that equipment.  However, though it is difficult to eliminate, it is actually very easy to control – just oxidize the heck out of the well. This is accomplished by chlorine shocking of the well with adequate chlorine concentration and several hours of mixing accomplished by recirculation.  

Personally, I chlorinate my own well every few years or so to prevent the buildup of a biofilm in my well and plumbing system and maintain the aesthetic quality of my water. I drain and flush the hot water heater annually to protect it from biofilm and mineral buildup and keep the temperature above 145 degrees to prevent the growth of reducing bacteria.  If you have treatment equipment like a water softener, you might want to consider chlorinating your well annually and treating your media to prevent a bio mat from forming in the media tanks.

There are so many things that regular chlorination will solve or prevent that you might want to consider a regular part of home maintenance. The first couple of times I chlorinated my well, so much reddish-brown mucus like gunk came out that after recirculating the well for three hours I ran the water off for three hours. Then upped the chlorine concentration and recirculated it again before I pulled the water into the house and sealed the well. 

These days when I chlorinate, I tend to reddish brown tinged water after a few hours of recirculating the chlorine water mixture.  At that point, I seal up the well and don't use any water. Once the well has sat for 12-14 hours with the chlorine mixture, I run the hoses to a non-sensitive area for at least an additional 14 hours till it runs clear, and the chlorine level drops towards non-detect. Though it can take an additional week to clear a well of every trace of chlorine under normal use. 

When I replaced my pump and pressure tank in 2020, I used a heck of a lot of chlorine in the powder form (a couple of cups or more of high-test calcium hypochlorite) to sanitize the well. I probably should have replaced the black pipe which as you can see below was coated (likely inside and out) with iron bacteria slime. Unfortunately, I did not think of it in time.

Jason pulling the pump. Note the orange look of the black pipe

The entire pipe should be black as is the top section

When you replace the pump, you are to let it sit for 24 hours and I was not able to mix the chlorine adequately.  Mixing the chlorine is accomplished by recirculating the water for a couple of hours which uses the pump. The result was that after running the hoses for about 12 hours the water appeared near clear but still had a measurable but low level of chlorine. So, I need to keep diluting the chlorine solution by running the hoses to rid my well.

I ended up running the hoses for around days. During this time, I was able to use water in the house (just don’t do laundry or cook with it). Pockets of discolored water kept appearing for days. Though I cannot run my well dry-it recharges faster than I can pump, I only ran the hoses only about 6-12 hours a day whenever a pop of rust colored water reappeared.  It would still be almost 5 days before all traces of the chlorine and rust colored water was flushed from the system, and the water remained consistently clear, but we were good with filtered water for coffee until then.

During well chlorination, free chlorine is introduced into the well water; there is no one standard for how much chlorine and methods to accomplish this disinfection so your experience will vary from mine, but adequate amounts of chlorine will flush the mineral build up, iron in solution in the water and reducing bacteria out of the well.  The more iron you have, the more iron bacteria the higher concentration of chlorine you will need.  Based on a survey of emergency disinfection protocols performed by Dr. Kelsey J. Pieper et. al and published earlier this year “Improving state-level emergency well disinfection strategies in the United States”, the scientists found that there were many differences in the protocols for chlorine disinfection. 

Most of the protocols for chlorination recommend that high chlorine doses be introduced into the well, circulated throughout the system, and stagnated for several hours up to 24 hours. The scientists point out that it is important that residual chlorine be measured at the faucet before you stagnate the system. This is because if too much of the chlorine solution reacts with iron or organic substances present in the well the concentration of chlorine and thus its effectiveness is reduced. This is key because when iron or iron bacteria or other reducing bacteria react with chlorine (are oxidized) and are flushed out of the well into the water. If there is enough chlorine, the well will shed brown water and be disinfected. 

Five days was the longest it has ever taken to flush all the gunk out of the well which I attribute to not mixing the chlorine adequately and using a heck of a lot of chlorine. My husband was briefly worried that I had somehow ruined the well or water supply because it seemed to go on and on. No worries, by the next week the water was clear and tasty. It takes patience to clear a well. Your well will clear, also.  However, the next time I change my pump, I will also replace the pipe to remove that excess iron bacteria source.

Green Infrastructure

Stormwater runoff, and the pollution and sediment it brings, wreak havoc on our local rivers, streams and creeks. There are effective natural solutions to help manage stormwater runoff. Those solutions ­ including tree plantings, bioswales, permeable pavement, rain gardens, riparian tree and shrub plantings and other native vegetative plantings near and along roadways, parking lots and sidewalks ­ are collectively known as green infrastructure or natural stormwater solutions. Generally, these have been applied as an addition to traditional stormwater infrastructure.

 
Natural solutions use the living landscape to capture, store, absorb, filter and slow the flow of stormwater runoff at the surface – before it enters sewer or stormwater systems and eventually local waterways. However, these solutions require maintenance plans and strategies. Proper maintenance is essential to ensure that projects perform as expected. Just a couple of examples: Maintenance activities for a rain garden include replacing mulch annually, pruning trees and shrubs as needed, and removing invasive species and weeds by hand monthly or at the minimum three times a year. Maintenance for a green roof includes removing weeds by hand, replacing dead plants, removing invasive species, clearing inlet pipes, removing trash and debris, and pruning.

 
Establishing written plans, budgets and procedures are needed to ensure proper long-term maintenance and are critical components to the success of any green infrastructure project. A dedicated source of funding that will allow for a budget capable of covering the costs of maintenance, staff, equipment, and the repair and replacement of green infrastructure on an ongoing basis. Otherwise, the systems will fail. Even with proper maintenance, green infrastructure cannot replace a woodland that was removed to build townhouses or data centers in terms of environmental services and stormwater filtering.
Modern urban drainage and suburban stormwater systems began by whisking the water away at the risk of extreme flooding downstream during larger storms. Methods to control stormwater flow like detention basins were then added to hold the water in place until it could be released safely during larger storm events. Engineered stormwater solutions using nature to replace hard surfaces and help control the flow can improve overall performance of the stormwater system.

 
However, as towns and communities grew, each new development project installed more concrete and other impervious surfaces in place of the softer, natural areas that slow and absorb water. This not only diverted more and more water to the stormwater system, but also removed the natural filtration of soil and plants to treat the mix of contaminants stormwater often carries before it heads downstream.
Fertilizers wash off lawns and end up in the drain. Brakes shed different types of metal. Even atmospheric deposition made up of exhaust from cars, buildings, businesses are sources of contaminants. Plants used in green infrastructure, like switchgrass, are chosen for their tolerance to a wide range of moisture conditions, and their deep roots retain water and nutrients. The soils used in green infrastructure are usually sandy with a bit of organic matter and specifically engineered to help retain contaminants like copper and zinc, both heavy metals commonly found in urban stormwater runoff.

 
Research at Penn State and Virginia Tech has found that the increasing inland salinization from the salt, used to melt snow and ice in the winter on the increasing number of paved roads, parking lots, sidewalks- the built infrastructure, can severely affect the vegetation’s survival and soil’s health, including how well they retain contaminants. According to their research salt replacesthe metals attached to the soil particles and releases them to the water environment. Salt impacts its ability to treat the stormwater and filter the contaminants.

 
Green infrastructure/ natural solutions are not the easy solution to overbuilding. Though they have become the buzz word for the Planning Department. Green infrastructure practices are often designed as infiltration, runoff reducing, and/or vegetation-based practices. Although the use of green infrastructure continues to increase across the country, there is still limited information about the long term functioning of the practices and the operations and maintenance necessary and their associated costs compared to more traditional approaches. This creates a challenge for local governments that are considering incorporating green infrastructure into the suite of practices they use to manage polluted runoff and protect clean water. This is critical when this water is the source water of our drinking water supply.

Spring Cleaning the Water Distribution System

As part of the annual maintenance program on March 24th, 2025 Fairfax Water and the Washington Aqueduct, Loudoun Water and the City of Manassas will switch from chloramine to chlorine to disinfect their water. During this time, Arlington Department of Environmental Services, DC Water, the Prince William Service Authority, Loudoun Water and Fairfax Water will begin flushing their water distribution systems over the next 3 months or so. Each spring these water distribution companies flush their water mains by changing to chlorine, opening fire hydrants and allowing them to flow freely for a short period of time. This forcefully draws water through the water pipes to dislodge sediments and minerals that may have collected during the previous year.

The final steps in the water treatment process is the second disinfection. For most of the year Fairfax Water, Loudoun Water and the Washington Aqueduct use chloramine as the final disinfection step in water treatment. However, during the spring of every year they use chlorine to disinfect and flush the delivery network. Free chlorine is better suited to remove residue that may have collected in the pipes and a coordinated opening of fire hydrants serves to flush the system.

Fairfax Water will disinfect with chlorine from March 24th to May 5th and the flushing of the water mains in Fairfax and Prince William will occur during that time. Crews from the Service Authority and Fairfax Water will open hydrants throughout their service area in brief intervals in order to draw water more forcefully through the distribution system. This helps to dislodge sediment that may have collected in water mains over the past year. DC Water purchases treated drinking water from the Washington Aqueduct. Loudoun Water announced they were starting their program on March 17th. During this time, the Washington Aqueduct will continue to add a corrosion control inhibitor during this temporary switch to prevent lead release into the water system.

For most of the year, chloramines, also known as combined chlorine, is added to the water as the primary disinfectant. During the spring the water treatment plants for Fairfax Water, and the Washington Aqueduct and Loudoun Water switch back to chlorine in an uncombined state, commonly referred to as free chlorine. This free chlorine reacts with sediments suspended during flushing and kills bacteria that may be in the bio-film that forms on the pipe walls. Many water chemistry experts believe this short exposure to a different type of disinfectant maintains a low microbial growth in the bio-film and improves the quality and safety of the water.

from PW Water

This change in disinfection is an annual program to clean the water distribution pipes and maintain high water quality throughout the year. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Washington Aqueduct provides water to the District of Columbia, Arlington County, and other areas in Virginia. Fairfax Water provides water to Fairfax County and parts of both Loudoun and Prince William County. WSSC does not switch their disinfectant and they do not flush the distribution system.

You may notice a slight chlorine taste and smell in your drinking water during this time, this is not harmful and the water remains safe to drink. You may want to use filtered water to drink or leave an open container of water in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to allow the smell to dissipate. Filters common for in the door water for refrigerators remove chlorine so you do not have to worry about ice. Water customers who normally take special precautions to remove chloramine from tap water, such as dialysis centers, medical facilities and aquarium owners, should continue to take the same precautions during the temporary switch to chlorine. Most methods for removing chloramine from tap water are effective in removing chlorine. The annual chlorination is important step to remove residue from the water distribution system.

Flushing the water system entails sending a rapid flow of chlorinated water through the water mains. As part of the flushing program, fire hydrants are checked and operated in a coordinated pattern to help ensure their operation and adequate flushing of the system. The flushing removes sediments made up of minerals which have accumulated over time in the pipes as well as bacteria on the bio-film. An annual flushing program helps to keep fresh and clear water throughout the distribution system. Removing the residue ensures that when the water arrives in your home, it is the same high quality as when it left the water treatment plant.

Fix a Leak to Save Water

Spring really is just around the corner and so the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named this week Fix a Leak Week. According to the EPA, the water leaks in the  average household can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year and ten percent of homes have leaks that waste over three times that 90 gallons or more per day.

Common types of leaks found in the home are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. These types of leaks are often easy to fix, requiring only a few tools,  hardware and an online video tutorial that can walk you through the steps. Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills. Reducing wasted water is essential in areas experiencing extended droughts and water restrictions and to save money for the rest of us.

Look for dripping faucets, showerheads and fixture connections. Twist and tighten pipe connections, it may be all that is necessary to stop a leak. Though I find (as a well owner)  that I get mineral build up in my faucets and they need to be disassembled and soaked in hot vinegar and water to dissolve the build up every year or two to prevent drips. Likewise my showerheads need to have the connection between the showerhead and the pipe stem cleaned and tightened regularly. Sometimes fixtures just need to be replaced. When you do, look for WaterSense-labeled models that also comply with , which are independently certified to use 20% less water and perform as well as standard models. Also verify that your fixtures are lead-free and comply with the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act (RLDWA) and the Community Fire Safety Act. The rule went into full effect in 2023.

Check toilets for leaks, the flappers in toilet tanks can become worn after several years and leak. Test your toilets by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank at the back of the toilet and waiting 10 minutes without flushing to see if color shows up in the bowl. If there is color, the toilet flapper likely needs to be replaced, which is an easy repair to make.

Though it is still a bit early around here you should check your irrigation system. Though you might want to reconsider your garden and outdoor water use or install rain barrels for watering your garden. The very cold winter we had could have cracked or damaged  a pipe. According to the EPA “An irrigation system that has a leak 1/32nd of an inch in diameter (about the thickness of a dime) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month.”

Lawns in general are watered more than other landscaping, they are reportedly the largest irrigated crop in Virginia. The most commonly used varieties of turf grass require more water than many landscape plants, such as ground covers, shrubs, and trees. In addition, homeowners tend to overwater their lawns. As a result, homes with large expanses of lovely green lawns generally use more water (fertilizer and herbicides) than those with a mixture of other plants or the mowed field that surrounds my house.

Turn the water back on to your outdoor spigots, and check them, too. After particularly cold winters cracks or splits in the spigot's pipe, might cause outdoor faucet leaks or worse leaks into the interior wall if you forgot to turn off the water line to the spigot in the fall. There are several small problems with outdoor spigots that can appear over time. The rubber washer or O-ring inside the faucet handle can become worn. The spigot may have a loose packing nut. Or the joints between the water supply line and the spigot or the spigot and the wall can become loose over time and leak. It’s spring check our your spigots.
 
According to the  US Geological Survey the majority of people in the United States used water provided by public suppliers. Domestic deliveries by public water suppliers totaled 23,300 million gal/d in 2015 and represented water provided to 283 million people at single-family and multifamily dwellings. The average citizen uses 83 gallons a day which includes, bathing and bathrooms, laundry, cooking, drinking and outdoor use. Outdoor watering in the drier climates causes domestic per capita water use to be the highest in the driest and hottest climates- the areas of the country facing the biggest water supply challenges also still tend to have the largest per capita water use.  Many water supply companies are facing the reality that the source of their water has limitations and it is expensive to provide and distribute finished drinking water, that realization has not fully reached most people, even some of our elected officials and urban planners. Water is a finite resource- don’t waste it. Fix your leaks.

Testing Your Well

I test my well water every year, though there is no requirement that I do that. I am one of the 1.6 million Virginians who get their drinking water from a well, cistern or spring.  While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates public water systems, the responsibility for ensuring the safety and consistent supply of water from a private well belongs to the well owner-in this case me. Every year I test my well water to make sure it is safe to drink. I do not test for everything and only periodically perform broad tests looking for changes in the groundwater quality. 

Private wells draw groundwater to a large extent from the area surrounding the well. Depending on the depth of the well and the local geology groundwater drawn into a private domestic drinking water well is often young-it could be weeks, months or several years old. Even though the ground is an excellent mechanism for filtering out particulate matter, such as leaves, soil, and bugs, dissolved chemicals and gases can still occur in large enough concentrations in groundwater to cause problems. Groundwater can get contaminated from industrial, domestic, and agricultural chemicals from the surface; including  pesticides and herbicides that many homeowners apply to their lawns, improperly disposed of chemicals; animal wastes; failing septic systems; wastes disposed underground; and naturally-occurring substances can all contaminate drinking water and make it unsuitable for drinking or make the water unpleasant to drink. Groundwater is dynamic and can change over time. Regular monitoring of your water quality is important and entirely up to you.

In Virginia installation of private wells is regulated by the Department of Health, responsible for approving the location of a well, inspecting the well after construction to verify proper grouting and adequate water yield, maintaining records of the well driller’s log, verifying the most basic potability of water by requiring a bacterial testing after completion. Then you are on your own to do what you deem best. When a house is purchased, lenders require that a well be tested for coliform bacteria contamination, nothing more. For many homeowners this was the only time their well was ever tested.

When we bought our home, I tested the well for all the primary and secondary contaminants in the Safe Drinking Water Act as well as a suite of metals and pesticides using a certified laboratory. I wanted a comprehensive baseline, and I used the safe drinking water act as my screening mechanism. I have performed that testing a handful of times over the past two decades using a testing package, the WaterCheck Deluxe plus pesticides test kit from National Testing Laboratories which is an EPA certified laboratory, to save money. Buying a package reduces the cost though the drawback is these packages are performed at a lower sensitivity level, and this was the most economical test I found. (I paid around 5 or 6 times what the WaterCheck with pesticides costs today to have my well tested 20 years ago.)

Still, I did not test for everything, nobody could afford to (I think there are 80,000 or more known chemicals). At the time I did not test for PFAS it was not part of the Safe Drinking Water Act and  the testing methods were not as sensitive as they are today. Truthfully,  it just was not on my radar, though I had been an R&D engineer at DuPont back in the day.

Currently, there are three U.S. EPA testing methodologies for testing drinking water for PFAS- USEPA Methods 537, 537.1, or 533. These methods test for multiple PFAS compounds, including the PFAS compounds that are part of the current EPA Drinking Water Standards.  The real problem is that Point of Use (POU) and Point of Entry (POE) treatment devices are not specifically designed to meet the Federal drinking water standards for PFAS. Current certification standards for PFAS filters NSF/ANSI 53 or NSF/ANSI 58 standards) do not yet indicate that a filter will remove PFAS down to the levels EPA has now set for a drinking water standard. EPA is working with standard-setting bodies to update their filter certifications to match EPA’s new requirements. Stay tuned.

Since I do not live in an area with a high probability of PFAS contamination, I am going to wait until the Occoquan Watershed Laboratory has finished their PFAS investigation of the   Occoquan watershed to determine where the PFAS in the reservoir is coming from. Sampling has so far confirmed Industrial wastewater discharges to UOSA from the Micron Semiconductor plant and from Freestate Farms. Also confirmed as a source of PFAS by sampling is the Federal/Military in the Vint Hill area and Vint Hill Farms. There are also several potential sources that need to be further investigated: the non-Micron reclaimed water from UOSA, accidental releases from Manassas airport, Dulles Airport, the legacy CERCLA sites – IBM in Manassas and Atlantic Research in Gainesville currently being redeveloped into data centers. PFAS in biosolids that may have been land applied under a permit in the watershed. PFAS have been widely used in consumer products, it is possible that some septic systems and landfills may also be a source of PFAS in groundwater. I will leave further discussion of this point to a later date.

If your home has a drinking water well that is contaminated, it could impact your health and the health of your family, and the value of the property. Still, according to the Virginia Household Water Quality Program, the most common contaminants in a private well are coliform bacteria and sodium.  Total coliform bacteria while always present in manure and sewage, is also present in soil and vegetation and surface water. The presence of coliform bacteria can mean that surface water is getting into the well either directly through a failing casing or grouting or improper construction or well cap or by other means possibly from the aquifer. Absence of coliform bacteria only means that water is not contaminated by septic and surface runoff, but the water might contain contaminants from other sources. Excessive sodium in Virginia generally comes from the overuse of water softeners and not from salt water infiltration.

There is a whole lot beyond being clear and tasting good that makes water safe and satisfactory. The issue of whether water is safe to drink is separate from whether the water is free of unpleasant contaminants like iron, manganese, chloride, and low levels of hydrogen sulfide or the groundwater has been contaminated. Throughout Virginia the Extension Office holds water clinics as part of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program.  For a reasonable price they analyzed water samples for 14 chemical and bacteriological contaminants at the laboratory at Virginia Tech.  Samples are analyzed for: iron, manganese, nitrate, lead, arsenic, fluoride, sulfate, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, sodium, copper, total coliform bacteria and E. Coli bacteria. These are the most common problems. I use the program to take a quick look at my water to see if anything has changed.

Due to its protected location underground, most groundwater is naturally clean and free from pollution. Typically, the deeper the well the less likely is it to be contaminated; however, there are a number of threats to drinking water: improperly disposed of chemicals (pesticides and oil poured down the drain of a home with a septic system); animal wastes; pesticides; human wastes (that nearby septic system); wastes buried underground or leaking fuel tank; and naturally-occurring substances can all contaminate drinking water and make it unsuitable for drinking or make the water unpleasant to drink. Homes built on former disposal sites- farm dumps, landfills or former military operations are particularly susceptible to contamination. Former agricultural properties should be tested for pesticides, fuels and solvents because farmers often have fuel tanks and repaired farm equipment with solvents that were improperly disposed of over the years. Hopefully, all those tests were done before you bought the home (I know I did).

 The nightmare scenario is what happened in Sterling, Virginia. The short story is that for twenty- or thirty-years homeowners in that community in Loudoun County were drinking water contaminated with TCE and its degradation products. The homes had been built on and old landfill and back in 1988 the Loudoun County Department of Health and the EPA had found traces of TCE, its degradation products and pesticides in three residential wells, but because the contamination was below the regulated maximum contaminant level (MCL) no further investigation was performed. Apparently, the oddity of finding a solvent in groundwater in a residential community did not immediately prompt further investigation. The water was within safe limits and thus was fine.

However, the water in the neighborhood was not fine. In 2005, 68 more wells (in the community) were tested by the Health Department. “Forty-five wells tested positive for TCE; 17 of these wells contained concentration of TCE above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 micrograms per liter (mcg/L) while 28 wells contained TCE, but below the MCL.”  The site was declared a CERCLA (Superfund) site in 2008. Between 1988 and 2005 no testing was done on the individual homeowner wells. The water was consumed by the young and old and the homes were bought and sold. If your home had been declared within a Superfund site, it is very likely that the value of the home would be impacted.

Everything that is known about the groundwater in Prince William County is because a study of the groundwater was performed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1991 to study the extent of TCE contamination from the Superfund site in Manassas. They did not test every inch of the county nor look for other contaminants but felt that they were able to find the extent of the TCE contamination plume. To be prudent and smart you need to test a well for likely and some unlikely sources of contamination. Often the biggest challenge in finding contamination is knowing what to look for and where to test. Testing is expensive, so it is virtually impossible to fully test soil and groundwater for everything and it is very easy to miss the contamination if the study is not planned properly and you do not understand the geology.

When buying a single-family home, you do not have any of this information or resources available to you. There is very little information available for residential properties. The department of health often has some useful information about water quality in the county and septic systems but rarely has any water analysis data available. Though, it was a Department of Health employee who originally found the Prince William County TCE contamination.  

Your best option is to do a broad scan of the well water quality before you buy the house and certainly at least once a decade when you own it. There are screening packages available from U.S. EPA certified laboratories like  National Testing Laboratories that screen water wells for all the primary and secondary contaminants in the Safe Drinking Water Act. This testing can be done for a few hundred dollars.  You might want to add nuisance problems like reducing bacteria.  

Year to year, outside sources of groundwater contamination are not likely to change except with changes in land use. Thus, it is not necessary to test for industrial contaminants every year. To ensure my drinking water remains safe it is important to maintain my well, test it regularly and understand your system and geology. I do not have any water treatment in my house, I drink the water just as it is from the ground. If you have water treatment equipment in your home, you might want to get test the water before and after the treatment equipment each year to make sure you have the right equipment for your water and that it continues working properly.

Wells of Virginia -2024 Annual Report

The Virginia Household Water Quality Program has issued their 2024 Annual Report on the Wells of Virginia. The below article highlights some of their insights. 2024vahwqpannua

 Private drinking water wells serve about 19% Virginia’s population or 1.6 million residents.   Virginia created the Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VAHWQP) to provide affordable water testing and education about private water wells to those residents of the Commonwealth. Extension Offices hold drinking water clinics and provide information to assist private well owners in understanding and maintaining their wells. 

The quality and safety of private wells are not regulated under Federal nor, in most cases, state law. In Virginia regulations control only construction and the absence of bacteria at the time of a well’s completion. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Act does not regulate individual households. As a result, individual homeowners are responsible for maintaining their own water supply and ensuring the quality of the water for their family.

The Virginia Household Water Quality Program was, originally created in 1989, was relaunched in 2007 with a USDA grant. In 2011 the program was expanded under another USDA grant to subsidize testing, quantify bacteria, add metals, and begin research out of Virginia Tech. Now the program is self-sustaining with clinics held in 90 of the 96 counties in 2024. The analysis is done by the Virginia Tech laboratory and research utilizing the data is being pursued by graduate students and staff.

In all the Virginia Household Water Quality Program clinics the water samples are analyzed for: iron, manganese, nitrate, lead, arsenic, fluoride, sulfate, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, sodium, copper, total coliform bacteria and E. Coli bacteria, and last year cost $65 in Prince William County. These are mostly naturally occurring contaminants and common sources of contamination: a poorly sealed well or a nearby leaking septic system, or indications of plumbing system corrosion. Though not an exhaustive list of potential contaminants, these are the most common contaminants that affect drinking water wells.

 

from VHWQP 

Though about 600,000 of Virginia households with 1,600,000 residents or 19% of the Virginia population have private wells, only 3,760 households chose to participate in the Virginia Household Water Quality Program clinic in 2024 and may not be representative of all private drinking water wells in the Commonwealth. Nonetheless, the data collected over the past 18 years is the one of the largest databases on private drinking water wells available. Well water quality is driven by geology, well construction and condition, nearby sources of contamination, and, within the home, water treatment devices and composition of plumbing materials.  

Overall, the statewide sampling last year found that just under 39% of the wells have coliform bacteria present, and almost 5% have E. coli bacteria. Though almost 24% of wells were found to have acidic water (low pH) about 6% of homes have first flush lead levels above the EPA safe drinking water standard maximum contaminant level for lead and 8% for copper. Lead and copper leach into water primarily because of corrosion of plumbing and well components but can also result from flaking of scale from brass fittings and well components unrelated to corrosion. Copper and lead predominately come from the pipes and lead containing components in wells. Over time older pipes and fixtures corrode or simply wear away and the lead and other corrosion material (like rust) is carried to the drinking water. Time and water do cause corrosion, but this can be aggravated by the pH of the water or other changes in water chemistry. The amount of lead corroded from metal plumbing including faucets with brass interiors generally increases with increasing water corrosiveness.

About 37% of households have elevated sodium exceeding the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act limit. This could be a result saltwater infiltration from natural or man-made sources (like road salt) or could indicate that water softeners are adding too much sodium to the water. Of the 3,760 participants in 2023, 37% report that they NEVER tested their water before and 31% had tested only once (presumably at purchase). About 49% of participants have participated in the VAHWQP clinic before.  Virginia Tech recommends annual testing of well water to make sure it is safe to drink, and you have the appropriate treatment system(s).