The Wells of Virginia 2018

Private drinking water wells serve more than a fifth of Virginia’s population or 1.7 million residents.  To serve these residents Virginia created the Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VAHWQP) to provide affordable water testing and education about private water wells to residents of the Commonwealth. Volunteers and Extension Agents 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 solely responsible for maintaining their domestic well systems and for any routine water-quality monitoring that may take place.

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 annual clinics in 93 counties. The analysis is done by the Virginia Tech laboratory of Dr. Mark Edwards (a recipient of MacArthur Genius Grant and world expert on water chemistry) and research utilizing the data is being pursued by graduate students.

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 $55-$60. 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 effect drinking water wells.

Though about 600,000 of Virginia households with 1,700,000 residents or 22% of the Virginia population have private wells, only around 2,161 households chose to participate in the Virginia Household Water Quality Program clinic  last year and may not be representative of all private drinking water wells in the Commonwealth. Nonetheless, the data collected over the past 12 years is the largest database 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.  Prince William County has a portion of the county within the coastal plain and the majority of the county within the Piedmont. There are areas high in minerals with pockets of iron, manganese, and sulfur. The most common contaminants found in well water in Prince William County were sodium, coliform bacteria, hardness, low pH, followed by hard water, iron and maganese above the SMCL, copper and lead exceeding the the MCL on first draw, and the presence of E coli bacteria.   

from VHWQP VA Tech

Overall the statewide sampling last year found that 41% of the wells have coliform bacteria, and 9% have E. coli bacteria. Though 20% of wells were found to have acidic water (low pH) only 9% of homes have first flush lead levels above the EPA safe drinking water standard maximum contaminant level for lead and copper. Lead and copper leach into water primarily as a result 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 do not naturally appear in groundwater and lead in drinking water is predominately coming from the pipes. 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 as water corrosiveness. For more information on lead in drinking water see here.

Around 33% of households have elevated sodium exceeding the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act limit. This could be a result salt water infiltration from natural or man made sources or could indicate that water softeners are adding too much sodium to the water. Annual well testing is recommended.  Of 2018 participants, 41% report NEVER testing their water before. About 20% of participants are return clients; many new people participate each year.  You might want to test your water to make sure it is safe to drink and you have the appropriate treatment system.