2021 Prince William Well Clinic

Prince William County Extension will be having a well water clinic in March to comply with the Governor’s “modified stay at home order” and good social distancing practices. The kit pick-up and drop off with be a drive by at the Extension Office. Introduction and sampling instructions will be presented by an online video and results and interpretation will be by Zoom meeting.

Water samples will be tested for: iron, manganese, nitrate, lead, arsenic, fluoride, sulfate, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, sodium, copper, total coliform bacteria and E. Coli bacteria. Sample kits will be $65  this year. Registration and pre-payment must be online by going to https://tinyurl.com/PWVCE-2021VAHWQP before March 22nd. I had no trouble following the link and prepaying. Be aware they will send multiple email confirmations- a receipt and confirmation of registration from  the VCEPrograms email and a payment receipt from the Bursar at Va Tech.


The Prince William Drinking Water Clinic has 4 parts:

1. Watch Kick-Off Meeting PowerPoint & How to Collect Water Sample using links below:

Kickoff Meeting PowerPoint and How to Collect Water Sample

2. Sample Kit Pickup- on Saturday, March 27th from 9:00am-12:00pm (noon) at the VCE Office, 8033 Ashton Ave, Manassas 20109. This is a drive-through pick up (remain in your car, masks are required. There will be a VCE tent and signs with directions in the parking lot)

3. The Sample Drop Off on Wednesday, March 31st from 6:30am-10am ONLY at the VCE Office, 8033 Ashton Ave., Manassas 20109. (Physical distancing measures will be in place and masks are required). THeVCE tent and signs with directions will be in the parking lot)

4. Results Interpretation Meeting (Zoom)-on Monday, May 10th, 7:00pm-9:00pm, there will be a live Zoom interpretation meeting which will explain the report, include a discussion, and answer questions on dealing with water problems. Zoom link and details will be emailed to everyone who registers.

Household water quality is driven by geology, well construction and condition, nearby sources of groundwater contamination, and any water treatment devices and the condition and materials of construction of the household plumbing. To ensure safe drinking water it is important to maintain your well, test it regularly and understand your system and geology. If you have water treatment equipment in your home you might want to get two test kits to test the water before and after the treatment equipment to make sure you have the right equipment for your water and that it is working properly.

The chart below shows what we found in the 101 private wells tested in the first round of testing we did in Prince William County in 

 

Water Level Shows Seasonality and Rain’s Impact on Wells

The recent rains in this part of Virginia not only allowed me to find four leaks in my roof where the solar panel rack was not flashed and the black jack finally failed, but also restored the groundwater aquifer to 8 feet below grade after a dry winter when levels fell to 12 feet below grade. If your water is supplied by a well, you need to be aware of the condition of the groundwater aquifer that supplies your well and live within your water resources. There are dry years and wet years and water will vary, though it is not always obvious.

The groundwater aquifer you tap for water is not seen, but you still need to be aware of your water budget and live within it. The daily household water needs here in Virginia is about 75 gallons/day per person according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The water level in the aquifer that supplies a well does not always stay the same. Droughts, seasonal variations in rainfall, and pumping affect the level of the water table as you can see in the graph above. If a well is pumped at a faster rate than the aquifer around it is recharged by precipitation or other underground flow, then water levels in the well can fall. This is what happens during times of drought and dry spells when there is little or no rain.

The quantity and quality of ground water in Prince William County varies across the county depending on the geologic and hydrogeologic group you are in. Within the county there are four distinct geologic provinces: (1) the Blue Ridge, (2) the Culpeper Basin, (3) the Piedmont, and (4) the Coastal Plain. The U.S. Geological Survey divides the four geologic provinces of the county into seven hydrogeologic groups based on the presence and movement of the ground water calling them groups: A, B, B1, C, D, E and F. The age of the groundwater in your well is dependent on the hydrogeologic group.

Direct determination of the groundwater level in your well requires a water level meter which most of us do not have, but a less direct indication of the status of your well might be obtained from a proxy well. The U.S. Geological Survey, USGS, maintains a group of 171 groundwater monitoring wells in Virginia that measure groundwater conditions daily and can be viewed online. One of the Virginia wells is just up the road from me in the same hydrogeologic group and the ten year history of the well can be seen above. The seasonality of groundwater wells can be clearly seen in the graph.

The water level in a groundwater wells naturally fluctuates during the year. Groundwater levels tend to be highest in the early spring after winter snowmelt and spring rainfall when the groundwater is recharged. Groundwater levels begin to fall in May and typically continue to decline during summer as plants and trees use the available shallow groundwater to grow and streamflow draws water. Natural groundwater levels usually reach their lowest point in late September or October when fall rains begin to recharge the groundwater again. It is concerning that the monitoring well recorded several extreme lows.

This well is in hydrogeologic group B in the northwestern part of Prince William County and consists of sedimentary rocks of the Culpeper Basin. The predominant rock types are conglomerates, sandstones, siltstones, shales, and argillaceous limestones. This is a fractured rock system with moderate to excellent water-bearing potential with very little overburden. The highest reported yields in the county are from wells located in hydrogeologic group B and this is where I live. The downside to this formation is that the hydrogeologic group is susceptible to contamination- the fractures that carry water can easily spread a contaminant and without adequate overburden spills could flow to depth through a fracture. Another potential problem is in an extended drought there is limited storage, recharge is quick, though. As you can see below in hydrogeologic group B, the storms of this past April and May are clearly visible in the well monitoring data.

Coliform “PRESENT”- How to Fix it

This spring in the well water clinic we run each year we found 25 wells out of 114 that had coliform "PRESENT." On a state level, the occurrence of coliform is higher. Of the approximately 7,000 households that participated in the Virginia Household Water Quality Program clinics from 2007 to 2015  they found that 41% of the wells had coliform bacteria, and 9% had E. coli bacteria. Though the 7,000 households may not be representative of all private drinking water wells in Virginia, it is the largest database on private drinking water wells available. It is safe to say that coliform contamination is widespread. 

If your water is contaminated with coliform but not fecal coliform or E. coli, don't panic. You have a nuisance bacteria problem and the source may be infiltration from the surface from rain or snow melt. Typical causes are improperly sealed well cap, well repairs performed without disinfecting the well, failed grouting or surface drainage to the well. If your well had coliform bacteria present you should shock chlorinate the well, repack the soil around the well pipe to flow away from the well and replace the well cap. Then after at least two weeks and the next big rainstorm retest the well for coliform. If coliform bacteria is still present then a long-term treatment should be implemented: using UV light, ozonation, or chlorine for continuous disinfection. These systems can cost up to $2,000 installed.

If your well test PRESENT for coliform standard protocol is:

1. Carefully check the well and water system for points of contamination. Make sure you have a sound and secured sanitary well cap and that the soil around the well is packed to drain water away from the well. 
2. Then treat the well and plumbing system with chlorine for 12-24 hours to disinfect system (the 12-24 hours is essential). Then flush the chlorine from the system- not to your septic system. Make sure that this is done correctly. 
3. Retest the water after the chlorine has left the system in about 10 days to two weeks. If coliform bacteria is “ABSENT” you’re done. If not, then it is time to install a long term disinfection system. (UV light or continuous chlorination)
   
   

In an existing well system that formerly was bacteria free look for these defects:

• A missing or defective well cap and check seals around wires, pipes, and where the cap meets the casing may be cracked, letting in contaminants. 
• Contaminant seepage through the well casing - cracks or holes in the well casing allow water that has not been filtered through the soil to enter the well. This seepage is common in the wells made of concrete, clay tile, or brick. This can also happen to a steel pipe well that was hit by a piece of equipment such as a car, snow blower, lawn tractor or mower or that has rusted. 
• Contaminant seeping along the outside of the well casing - many older wells were not sealed with grout when they were constructed or the grouting has failed. Check the grouting carefully especially if water seems different after severe rains. 
• Well flooding - a common problem for wellheads located below the ground in frost pits that frequently flood during wet weather. 

Coliform bacteria are commonly found in soil, on vegetation, and in surface water. Some coliform bacteria strains can survive in soil and water for long periods of time. Coliform bacteria will not likely cause illness. Coliform bacteria do not occur naturally in most aquifers. Fractured or creviced bedrock aquifers that are close to the surface are the exception. Be aware that there are three different groups of coliform bacteria; total coliform, fecal coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) each has a different level of risk. If your water is contaminated with coliform but not fecal coliform or E. coli, then you have a nuisance bacteria problem.

Bacteria washed into the ground by rainfall or snowmelt are usually filtered out as water seeps through the soil, so properly constructed water wells do not typically harbor Coliform bacteria. However, coliform bacteria can persist within slime formed by naturally occurring ground water microorganisms. The slime (or biofilm) clings to the well screen, casing, drop pipe, and pump and may even invade filter systems. Disturbances during pumping or well maintenance can cause the slime to dislodge, releasing the coliform bacteria.

Keep in mind that coliform bacteria do not always show up in every sample. They can be sporadic and sometimes seasonal when they occur in a water supply. You should not continue drinking water contaminated with coliform, either boil the water drink bottled water until you disinfect your well. Bring the water to a rolling boil for one to five minutes (the higher the elevation the more time is necessary) to kill the bacteria. You may also want to consider using bottled water as a temporary drinking and cooking water source.

You may have received a total coliform count. This gives you a general indication of the sanitary condition of a water supply and extent of the problem. Bacteria can be introduced into a new well during construction and can remain if the water system is not thoroughly disinfected and flushed. Well construction defects such as insufficient well casing depth, improper sealing of the space between the well casing and the borehole, corroded or cracked well casings, and poor well seals or caps can allow surface water or insects to carry coliform bacteria into the well. These problems are common and the most likely source of the coliform bacteria contamination. Unplugged abandoned wells can also carry coliform bacteria into deeper aquifers.

Since bacterial contamination cannot be detected by taste, smell, or sight, all drinking water wells should be tested at least annually for Coliform bacteria.

a sanitary well cap

typical drilled well

You are Responsible for Your Water Quality

Although the majority of the United States' population gets its drinking water from pubic systems, approximately 43 million Americans or about 15% currently rely on a private water supply system (i.e. wells, springs, and cisterns) for drinking water. Most of these private water systems are private wells. The concentration of private wells is not evenly distributed throughout the country. The Census Bureau stop collecting information specific to private well  use in 1990, and now most statistics related to private water supply systems are outdated. However, in 1992 the Commonwealth of Virginia began regulating the construction of private wells and is able to report that over 20% of the state’s population is dependent of private drinking water wells. The majority of households in the most rural 60 of the state’s 95 counties rely on private wells. During 2013-2014 14,791 permits for private wells were issued by the Virginia Department of Health.

The quality and safety of private or domestic wells, are not regulated under Federal or, in most cases, state law. In Virginia only construction and the absence of bacteria at well completion are required. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) cannot and should not regulate individual households, they are challenged enough with the regulation and monitoring of public water supplies. 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. However, private well owners often lack a basic understanding of groundwater and wells and the mechanical components in private water systems and are often unaware of common issues with wells, and lack access to objective information and a framework for understanding problems and decision making.

As part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), water samples were collected during 1991–2004 from private water wells used for household drinking water from 1,389 wells all over the country. The USGS analyzed the drinking water samples physical properties and the concentrations of trace elements, nutrients, radon, and organic compounds (pesticides and volatile organic compounds); fecal indicator bacteria and radionuclides. The USGS found that 23% of wells the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Act’s (SDWA’s) MCL (maximum contaminant level) for chemical contaminants (e.g. nitrate, fluoride, pesticides). In addition, 34% of samples tested positive for total coliforms and 8% tested positive for E. coli. Although the SDWA does not regulate domestic wells, its approach to evaluating the suitability of drinking water for public supplies is how water quality is typically measured.

Because private drinking water wells serve more than a fifth of its population Virginia  has taken steps to assist private well owners monitor, understand and maintain their wells. The Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VAHWQP) was created by the Virginia Cooperative Extension 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 other outreach programs. During 2012, the VAHWQP Drinking Water Clinics were held in 33 counties across the state and had a total of 831 participating households sample their water. Samples were 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 mostly the 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 this is not an exhaustive list of potential contaminants, these are the most common contaminants that effect drinking water wells.

In 2012 Drinking Water Clinics were held in the following 33 counties: Albemarle, Brunswick, Charlotte, Clarke, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Frederick, Greene, Halifax, King George, Lancaster, Loudon, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Nelson, Northumberland, Orange, Page, Prince William (yeah us!), Rappahannock, Richmond County, Russell, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Tazewell, Warren and Westmoreland. In the years since 2012 the VAHWQP has continued to hold drinking water clinics throughout the state and has amassed the largest database of well information in the nation,

In 2012 42% (349) of samples tested positive for total coliforms, and approximately 7% (55) samples tested positive for E. coli. The percent of homes with coliform bacteria present was significantly higher than the USGS national findings, but the percent of homes with fecal bacteria present was slightly lower. Coliform bacteria are not a health threat itself, it is used to indicate other bacteria that may be present and identify that a well is not properly maintained or sealed from surface bacteria. The federal standard for coliform bacteria is zero, but the federal standard allows that up to 5% of samples can test positive for coliform during a month. Coliform bacteria presence can be seasonal. Fecal coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water is contaminated with human or animal wastes. Disease-causing microbes (pathogens) in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. These pathogens may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and those with compromised immune systems.

Nitrate-N concentrations were generally low compared to previous studies (Bauder et al., 1993; Gosselin et al., 1997), with only three samples exceeding the EPA MCL of 10 mg/L. Nitrate can contaminate well water from fertilizer use; leaking from septic tanks, sewage and erosion of natural deposits. The MCL for nitrate is 10 mg/L. Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill from blue-baby syndrome and, if untreated, may die. Closer attention to the potential for nutrient contamination in our waterways could be the reason that elevated levels of nitrate were below earlier studies.

More than half of participating households in the 2012 study did not have water treatment of any kind. For those systems that did include a treatment device, sediment filters and water softeners were the most common. These devices treat aesthetic contaminants and are aggressively sold by home stores and water treatment companies that offer free testing for water hardness. Filters and water softening systems cannot reduce microbial contamination. Only 4.2% of the households sampled in 2012 used treatment device designed to kill microbial organisms (chlorination and UV systems).

If a system is properly constructed and maintained then high levels of contaminants should not be present in the system, but over 42% of wells tested found coliform bacteria present in the sample. Given the prevalence of coliform bacterial, there appears to be a lack of proper maintenance and over time a deterioration in the elements of proper well construction that allows the entry of surface bacteria to enter a well. This is believed to be a result of system neglect and the absence of regular water testing and renders these households vulnerable to exposure to waterborne disease outbreaks. There is a demonstrated need for the VAHWQP affordable water testing clinics, technical assistance and educational materials for private water wells owners in the Commonwealth, but it is also necessary for well owners to be responsible and informed.

Well Water Problems- The Hot Water Smells and is Oily

Regularly, I receive questions about people’s wells through my blog. Recently I received the following question:

Our well water great then all of a sudden for the past month we get this smell from our water (only the hot water) and it leave an oily texture on our skin and also has this foul smell. We tried cleaning the hot water tank and that did nothing. Don't know what else to do!

Often there are limits to how helpful I can be to questioners because there is not enough information, but this sounds like hydrogen reducing bacteria have taken up residence in the hot water heater. There is an easy fix for this.

First a little background. Hydrogen Sulfide gas (H2S) with its characteristic “rotten egg” taste and smell can actually be detected as an off smell at 0.5 parts per million (ppm) by most people. At less than 1 ppm, hydrogen sulfide will give water a musty odor. At 1 to 2 ppm, it will have an odor similar to rotten eggs. Levels encountered in private wells are usually less than 10 ppm, because high levels of gas will not remain in solution in the water. Though toxic at 800 parts per million, Hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air and can accumulate in pits and basements and can potentially create a health and explosive hazard (though the smell might kill you first).

Hydrogen sulfide can end up in your tap water by four different routes. (1) It can occur naturally in groundwater especially in oil rich shale and coal seams. (2) It can be produced within the well or plumbing systems by sulfur reducing bacteria (bacteria that essentially eat sulfate in areas that have a high natural level of sulfate in the rocks. These anaerobic bacteria occur naturally in decaying plant material and soil and many areas in the nation have high natural levels of sulfate in the groundwater. (3) Hydrogen sulfide can form in hot water heater by either supplying a pleasant environment for the sulfate reducing bacteria to thrive or the energy for the magnesium rod intended to prevent corrosion of the heating tank to react with the sulfate naturally occurring in the water. (4) Finally, there are instances where the hydrogen sulfide gas is due to contamination of the well with septic waste.

Back to the problem at hand. Because hydrogen sulfate is so easily smelled by the typical human being, smell alone is enough to identify the problem. Also the description of the water as feeling oily is enough to identify the sulfur reducing bacteria. These are the classic symptoms of sulfur reducing bacteria creating hydrogen sulfate in the hot water heater. Though, I would have describe the feel of the water as slimy (after all I know what’s in it), the questioner’s description is classic for this problem.

If the smell is only from the hot water faucet and not from the cold water, then the problem is in the hot water heater. It is either sulfate reacting with the magnesium anode rod, or sulfur reducing bacteria (flourishing) in the hot water tank. The description of the water as oily would indicate the problem is sulfur reducing bacteria flourishing in the hot water heater. The reason that cleaning the hot water tank did not work is that the reducing bacteria were probably originating in the well and the water has naturally high levels of sulfur.

There is no standard test for sulfur reducing bacteria, so without the feel of oil it is often difficult to differentiate between a bacteria problem and something that might be solely sulfate reacting with the magnesium rod in the tank beyond the feel of the water. Also, hard water and certain soaps can leave a residue easily confused with the feel of reducing bacteria in the water. Thus, it is generally best to treat the hot water tank for both sulfate reducing bacteria and for the magnesium rod reacting with the sulfate naturally occurring in the water. It is a good idea to chlorine shock the hot water heater to kill the bacteria then flush it. But first start by raising the temperature in the hot water heater to 160 degrees Fahrenheit for three hours or more. This will generally kill the sulfur reducing bacteria. Hot water tanks use a lot of energy to keep the water hot, and we have all been advised to lower the temperature on the tank to 140 degrees Fahrenheit to save energy. Unfortunately, that is a temperature at which reducing bacteria thrive. So, pump the heat all the way up and kill the bacteria.

At this point you might want to flush the hot water heater a couple of times and let it heat back up and see if the problem is gone. Even if this works, the cure probably won’t last. It is likely that the iron bacteria are being introduced from the well, but keeping your hot water heater at 160 degrees will constantly kill the bacteria. If you do not want to keep your hot water heater set so high, then move on to disinfecting the hot water heater and replacing the anode rod and know that you will have to regularly disinfect the hot water tank. I dealt with a similar problem by disinfecting the hot water tank then simply keeping the hot water very hot. I bought an insulated cover for the tank to cut down on the power usage.

It is not very hard to disinfect a hot water tank, but unless you are very familiar with operations and maintenance of hot water heaters, you should call a plumber. Either turn off the hot water heater if it is electric or put it on pilot if it is gas and drain off a few gallons of water after you close the cold-water inlet valve. Make sure that you have drained off at least a few gallons and pour a half gallon of household bleach (5.25% hypochlorite) mixed with water into the tank. The best way to get the bleach into the tank is to use a funnel and either the temperature and pressure valve opening, anode rod opening, or hot water outlet pipe opening to pour the chlorine into the hot water heater. Let the chlorine sit in the tank for at least two hours. Then open the cold-water inlet valve, drain the hot water heater and turn the heat back up. If the problem is sulfate reacting with the magnesium anode (corrosion protection rod), it can be replaced with an aluminum rod that is not as reactive as the magnesium and may still serve to protect the metal components of the tank from corrosion. Most hot water tanks take a standard size anode rod and there are aluminum replacements available from several manufacturers. Generally, you should check the condition of the anode rod when you pour the bleach into the tank. Be aware that some high end tanks have two anode rods and replacing just one with aluminum will not solve the problem because the remaining magnesium rod will continue to react with the sulfate.

For instructions on how to identify the source of your hydrogen sulfate problem and solve it see Hydrogen Sulfide-the Rotten Egg Smell in Well Water.

Conversations about Wells Going Dry

Regularly, I receive questions about people’s wells through my blog. If you send your email address I will try to be helpful, but there are limits because often there is not enough information.I received the following question: 

“I just came across your blog and had a question for you.. We just bought our home and have been here almost two weeks, last night we had no water and this morning we do. Does that mean our well is running dry?  We've never had well water, so we're lost.”

I responded that it could, indeed, mean that their well is running dry; but it could also mean that you overused the well. Let's get some more details. How old is the well? What type of well is it and how deep is the well? Where are you? Do you have the well completion report? Did you test the well recharge rate when you bought the house? How much water did you use yesterday (showers, laundry, watering the lawn)? Please send me all the details you have and let's see if we can figure this out. 

“Honestly, I don't know the answers to those questions. I do know a lot of water was used yesterday, between everyone taking showers and my son out watering. I also did a lot of laundry. My son went and checked the holding tank, and I guess it had 300 gallons in there this morning. We live in San Tan Valley, AZ.”

That is very little information, it is important when you buy a house with a well, that you gather more information on the well and local ground water conditions. They live in southeast Arizona and the well has limited enough flow that the system has a holding tank. These type of holding tanks (sometimes called cisterns) are used with low flow wells that need to store all the water the well can produce in a 24 hour period. Also, a quick look at theDrought Monitor told me that region of Arizona is in drought conditions. Checking with the state department of water they say “Winter precipitation this year was well below average for an El Niño winter. The winter season had a strong start in November through January, then the storms stopped coming into Arizona. Most of the storms that crossed Utah brushed by northern Arizona, but left central and southern Arizona quite dry.”

In general watering is inadvisable in a desert when you have a well especially when in long periods of drought. Groundwater is found in aquifers below the surface of the Earth. This water supplies all wells- private, public and irrigation. The amount of groundwater that can be sustainably used is determined by the amount of rain and snow melt that recharges the groundwater each year and the storage capacity of the geology for variation between wet and dry years. Nature determines the amount of water that is available- geology, weather and climate. The cistern filling to 300 gallons overnight is an indication of how much water you will have available to use. During dry periods, there is little rainfall to refill the groundwater, but water use continues. Not too surprisingly, during a drought, and the dryer parts of the year the groundwater level will fall. Clearly, with 300 gallons recharging the cistern the well is not dry, but it is a low producing well. You might want to contact the Arizona Department of Water Resources and find out what records might exist for your well. Current Arizona regulations require the well driller complete a well driller’s report, including a well log. The information required includes:

• depth of the well
• depth to the water
• type and size of casing, and
•  kind of material used in well construction 
• the well yield test determines the quantity of water your well can produce

Based on generating 300 gallons overnight the current yield on your well is less than a gallon a minute. If this rate remains steady and not falling any further it is enough to run a household using conservation, but clearly inadequate to water your yard.

               Over time the amount of water a well produces can decrease. Sometimes that is because the water table is dropping. Other times it can be caused by the plugging of holes in the well casing, mineral encrustation of the well screen or the filling of openings in the geologic formation around the well from which water flows as discussed above. The pump performance could also be impaired by a damaged motor or impeller. Depending on what the problem is sometimes this can be fixed. The solution cannot be properly identified until the cause of the problem is identified. A well check-up should be performed regularly and whenever a problem is noticed. This check-up should include four components. First, is a flow test to determine system output, along with a check of the water level before and during pumping (if possible). Second is to check pump motor performance (check amp load, grounding, and line voltage), pressure tank and pressure switch contact, and general water appearance. (This will not necessarily identify a pump that is going to fail shortly). Next, is an inspection of well equipment to assure that it is sanitary and meets local code requirements. Third, a test of your water for coliform bacteria and nitrates, and anything else of local concern should be performed. These tests while not exhaustive, should allow you to differentiate between a pump problem, well/water supply problem, and other system problems.

               In the meantime you need to live within your water budget. You only have the water available to you that your well is generating. There are tremendous differences in water consumption of appliances and fixtures based on their age and design. For example low-flush toilets which use 1.6 gallons per flush versus 5 gallons per flush for the older toilets. According to the 2001 Handbook of Water Use and Conservation by A. Vickers and published by WaterPlow Press in Amherst, MA the average person flushes the toilet 5.1 times a day. Before the advent of low flush toilet, flushing was the largest use of water for each person. If you have new toilets your daily water use for flushing would be 8.2 gallons versus 25.5 gallons for an older toilet. Compressor assisted toilets (commonly used in highway rest stops) only use 0.5 gallons of water and if widely adopted could reduce flushing use of water to 2.6 gallons per day per person. Other toilets that have separate flush cycles for fluid can also save water, and of course there is the California strategy of not flushing after only urinating to minimize the daily number of flushes. Changing your toilets and flushing behavior turns out to be the single most effective water conservation strategy a household can implement. Thank goodness, there are now powerful flushing low flow toilets.

               The typical American uses the most water (indoors) for flushing, showering, washing hands and brushing teeth, and laundry. Buying water efficient appliances and fixtures and changing behavior can significantly reduce our water use. For bathing and brushing teeth low flow faucets and showerheads and behavior modification (not running the water while you brush your teeth, shorter showers or not running the water while you lather up can save about a third of the water typically used for personal hygiene, reducing the typical 28 gallons a day to 19 gallons a day. Laundry is the second largest use of water after toilets. Try not to do more than one load of laundry a day.  A top loading washing machine uses 43-51 gallons per load while a full size front load machine uses 27 gallons per load and some machines have low volume cycles for small loads that use less. Replacing a top load washing machine with a front load machine saves 6-9 gallons of water per person per day or 24 gallons per load of laundry. A standard dishwasher uses 7-14 gallons per load while a water efficient dishwasher uses 4.5 gallons per load.

The most water used in dessert environments is for outdoor watering. A hose typically runs at 3 gallons or so a minute. Eliminating the watering of your ornamental garden would significantly reduce water use especially in Arizona. You need to have desert landscaping or to only water plants very selectively. Be mindful of your water use and it possible to live with a well producing about a half a gallon a minute with a large household for years without any problems, 

Best,

Elizabeth Ward

He Always Has Brown Water after a Storm

I often get questions from readers and as part of the VAMWON network. Often the questions do not have enough detail for me to be helpful. Like when someone tells me their well stopped working what’s wrong. My first thought at those times is to secretly think “I don’t know, my crystal ball isn’t working.” Usually, I just begin asking questions. To be of any help I need information on your well, a description of the problem and its history and pictures would be helpful. Recently I received the following in response to my blog on storm impacted wells:

“I am not sure if you could share some thoughts as I have had a problem with my 38 foot deep 2 foot Diameter shallow well in rural Spotsylvania County that I have been fighting for the past 9 years. My issue is pretty synonymous with the symptoms which you stated.

The water pumped into the house from the well by way of the internal well pump will stay brown for about 2 weeks after a series of heavy rainstorms. Consequently, we always use bottled water during that time and wait for things to clear up.

I have regularly tested the well after things have cleared up over the years by using the WaterSafe test kit and have never noticed bacteria. (I have never tried it when it was brown though).

The water entering the house is pre-filtered by a pleated 10 inch 50 micron filter. When the heavy rains start, I have (with some success) put in a 5 micron carbon filter in it’s place. This seems to help when things aren’t so bad, but it doesn’t do very much when there are storms going on for days on end  like the ones we had.

I was thinking of going with an even lower micron filter as a temporary measure when the storms are bad. I know it probably won’t last more than a week, but if I knew the right micron, it might work. (I am very surprised that I am getting colored sediment even with a 5 micron filter though.”

I responded to the email: 

             
Wow, 38 feet is a very shallow well and likely to be impacted by surface infiltration, and drought. Typically rain water and snow melt percolate into the ground and the deeper the well the further away is the water origination and the older the water. The groundwater age is a function of the depth of the well, the geology of the area, the precipitation, recharge of the aquifer and pumping rates of the aquifer that control the rate of flow of water to a well. The age of the water in an aquifer provides insight into the likelihood of contamination from both anthropogenic and natural sources. Very young groundwater that has recently infiltrated into the aquifer is more vulnerable to contamination from human activities near the land surface than older, deeper groundwater that has had more time to be filtered by soils. Old groundwater, however, is not necessarily free of contaminants. The older groundwater can contain naturally occurring chemical elements and contamination from years past. The land surface through which groundwater is recharged must remain open and uncontaminated to maintain the quality and quantity of groundwater. 

It is always best to do a complete water analysis while the water is still brown to ensure that there is not another cause for the discoloration. Also, you do not indicate what you tested for, there are other causes of brown water, but it is a reasonable guess given your history that you are not experiencing episodic iron. However, you really should spend the money to do a complete analysis both before and after the water clears.

Filter cartridges for sediment removal are rated in microns. As you know, the micron rating for a water filter is a way of indicating the ability of the filter to remove contaminants by the size of the particles. A filter that is marked “5 microns” has some capability in capturing particles as small as 5 microns. However, there is no one accepted method to measure and describe the size of particles that a filter can capture or the total amount of particles that the filter can hold. Filter micron ratings for water are usually Nominal or Absolute. For sediment removal, Nominal rated cartridges are most common. Absolute ratings are needed for example, in removing Giardia, a type of parasite, when it becomes important that the filter cartridge absolutely must be rated at 1 microns. A Nominal Micron Rating (NMR) usually means the filter can capture a given percentage of particles of the stated size. For example, a filter might be said to have a nominal rating of 90% at 10 micron.

The breakthrough you are experiencing could possibly be resolved by having two or three filters in series, a 50 micron followed by a 25 micron followed by a 5 micron; however, I have a basic concern that there is the possibility that your well could be impacted not only by bacteria but by parasites and spores that have the potential to be fatal in vulnerable populations. Though I would encourage you to drill a well at least 100 feet below grade to ensure the health of your family, surface water can be treated. You need a series of filters meticulously maintained to reliability remove the discoloration, a series of two or three should do it. (This will impact your water pressure that you may need to boost it.) Make sure you match the flow to the capacity of the filer. Then after the water is clear you need to disinfect using a using a UV light.

Finally, you will need a point of use filtration system for any water that is likely to be drunk because of the potential for cysts, parasites etc. Giardia is a fairly common microscopic parasite that causes diarrhea. Once an animal or person is infected with Giardia, the parasite lives in the intestine and is passed in feces. Because the parasite is protected by an outer shell, it can survive outside the body and in the environment for long periods of time extending to months. Millions of Giardia parasites can be released in a bowel movement of an infected human or animal. Human or animal waste can enter water through sewage overflows from flooded septic systems, polluted storm water runoff, and agricultural runoff. Wells may be more vulnerable to such contamination after flooding, particularly if the wells are shallow, have been dug or bored, or have been submerged by floodwater for long periods of time.

The CDC usually recommend boiling water, but that may be impractical unless you are sure that the water is impacted. An alternative to boiling water is using a point-of-use filter. Not all home water filters remove Giardia. Filters that are designed to remove the parasite should have one of the following labels:

•  Reverse osmosis,
•  Absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller,
•  Tested and certified by NSF Standard 53 for cyst removal, or
•  Tested and certified by NSF Standard 53 for cyst reduction.

I hope this helps.

VDH Tests the Wells on Possum Point Road

Last winter after initially offering the service for around $1,200 the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) decided to sample and analyze at the Department’s expense the private drinking water well of any of the 24 homeowners adjacent to the Dominion Power Possum Point Plant. This is the Prince William County power plant where Dominion Power has been moving forward with a plan to “close in place” 3.7 million cubic yards of coal ash under the new U.S. EPA Coal Ash regulation. The plan for Possum Point is to consolidate all of the on-site coal ash into one impoundment. Dominion has collected more than 1 million cubic yards of ash from four smaller ponds; put them into the large 120-acre pond that already contains 2.6 million cubic yards of coal ash that they have begun to dewater. Ultimately, the pond will be capped with an impermeable membrane to prevent future infiltration of rain.

However, these coal ash ponds have been open to the elements and taking on water for decades. There is concern that trace contaminants and metals in the coal ash may have already leached into the groundwater, Quantico Creek and Potomac, though the residential wells are all up gradient (the groundwater naturally flows to the bay) of the coal ash ponds and separated by an tributary known to the residents as “Beaver Pond” which would under most circumstances act as a hydraulic barrier between the coal ash ponds and the residences. In other words the hydrology of the area would tend to act to protect the homeowners’ wells from contamination for the power plant. In addition, groundwater in Prince William County tends to be very “young” depending on the depth of the well.

Our modern world is filled with chemicals, they exist in pharmaceuticals, household products, personal care products, plastics, pesticides, industrial chemicals, human and animal waste and yes coal ash ponds; they are in short, all around us. According to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) inventory of chemicals there are more than 84,000 chemical substances. Under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA sets standards for approximately 91 contaminants in drinking water including bacteria from human waste, industrial discharge streams and water disinfection by-products and distribution system contaminants. For each of these contaminants, EPA sets a legal limit, called a maximum contaminant level (MCL). EPA requires that all public water supplies be tested for this list of contaminants on a regular basis (from daily, to quarterly, to every other year or longer depending on the contaminant and water system) and meet these minimum standards on average. In addition, EPA sets secondary standards for less hazardous substances based on aesthetic characteristics of taste, smell and appearance, which public water systems and states can choose to adopt or not.

While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates public water systems, making the imperfect United States public water systems the safest and cleanest on earth there are no regulations for private drinking water wells. The responsibility for ensuring the safety and consistent supply of water from the estimated more than 21 million private wells belongs to the well owner. These responsibilities should include knowing the well’s history, testing the water quality annually (or more often as needed), and having the well system and its components inspected regularly by a well driller licensed or certified. In Virginia that is the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, DPOR. Regulations for wells in Virginia have only been in effect since 1992 and only address the construction of the well not the safety or quality of the groundwater. However, there are no regulations in Virginia to make you test or care for your private well. Most home owners do not test their wells. Though there are reported to be 1.5 million Virginian who depend on a private well for their drinking water, the Virginia Rural Household Water Quality program that subsidizes the costs tests less than 1,500 wells a year, and only 6 of the 24 well owners on Possum Point Road chose to have VDH test their wells.

Groundwater aquifers are potentially vulnerable to a wide range of man-made and naturally occurring contaminants, including many that are not regulated in drinking water under the SDWA, which defines a contaminant as “any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter in water.” This is a very broad definition of contaminant includes every substance that may be found dissolved or suspended in water, everything but the water molecule itself. Drinking water contains much more than just the water molecule, there are minerals and metals and traces of many other substances. One of the more surprising facts about water is that all the water on Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, dating form when the earth was formed.

Slowly, the waters of earth have picked up traces of its journey through time and the planet. However, the SDWA only has MCLs and secondary standards for 91 contaminants that have been found to impact many public drinking water systems. Some substances have non-regulatory human health screening levels and then there are substances where no screening level has been determined. The presence of a contaminant in water does not necessarily mean that there is a human-health concern. Whether a particular contaminant in water is potentially harmful to human health depends on the contaminant’s toxicity and concentration in drinking water. Other factors include the susceptibility of individuals, amount of water consumed, and duration of exposure.

Several of the substance controlled under the SDWA are natural occurring contaminants, 6 are bacteria and 8 are by-products or additives of water treatment; however, though most contaminants in water are naturally occurring, the greatest problem is pollution caused by mankind. Anthropogenic pollutants contaminate surface and groundwater as a result of manufacturing, combustion and incinerations air emissions, landfills and spills, stormwater runoff carrying agricultural and surface pollutants and waste water treatment water carrying a wide range of chemical containing substances into surface water and groundwater.

Only 6 of the 24 homeowners on Possum Point Road were interested in having their water wells tested by the VDH. The methodology used by the VDH was different from what we do when we sample in the Rural Household Water Quality Program because our purposes are different. Our program is interested in identifying bacterial contamination, matching water quality to household treatment options and measuring the impact of the household plumbing on the drinking water. Our methods are designed for that and require a fist draw for our water clinics. This year our clinic’s samples were analyzed for: iron, manganese, nitrate, lead, arsenic, fluoride, sulfate, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, sodium, and copper, total coliform bacteria and E. coli bacteria. These are mostly the naturally occurring contaminants and common sources of contamination: a poorly sealed well or a nearby leaking septic system, or indications of plumbing system corrosion.

The VDH was looking to take water samples that represent the underlying aquifer. The wells were sampled by the health department on three different days; on February 23rd 2016 (1 well), March 1, 2016 (4 wells) and March 7th 2016 (1 well). All the wells were sampled from an outdoor spigot or tap before treatment close to the well head after purging 20 gallons (in one instance), 40 gallons (in 4 instances) or 44 gallons (in one instance). The goal was to test the underlying aquifer not the impact to water sitting in pipes for several hours. While this method would likely reduce impact from piping, it is unlikely that flushing 20-44 gallons would flush the water from the well column so the lead they found present in the 4 wells with acidic water was likely from the well and pump fittings which historically have contained up to 8% lead in the brass. Well columns contain (typically) about 1.5 gallons per foot so it is most likely that the VDH was sampling water that had been stored in the well for an unknown period of time.

This brings up a weakness in the information. There is no information provided about the wells themselves. The type, age, depth of the well, and the recharge rate are unreported. Four of the six wells had water that was slightly acidic and though the flushed water samples from the point tested was below the MCL for lead of 15 ppb, as the VDH points out there are many who believe that there is no safe level for lead, especially since the VDH for the most part tested an outdoor spigot and did not measure the impact of the household plumbing to flushed lead levels. We find in our water clinics that elevated levels of lead often occur in homes with acidic water. While the presence of low levels of lead in the home with acidic water (a pH of 4.85-5.79) is of concern for long term health of the occupants, it is not an indication of impact from the Dominion coal ash ponds. This commonly occurs throughout the county and the Commonwealth. Other findings of concern were VDH discover that one of the wells had a large opening in its lid which presents a significant contamination risk for bacterial contamination as well as insects and small animals. Another well was reported to be in the basement of the home. This well does not meet the current state well construction regulations or the old 1979 county well regulations. Finally, there were significant elevations of sodium, sulfate, iron, and manganese substances that are naturally occurring and can make well water quite unpleasant.

The VDH tested the water for thirteen contaminants that are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act (arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, total chromium, mercury, lead, antimony, selenium, thallium, radium). Though traces of various substances were found, none of the levels of contaminants were above the MCLs or SMCLs of the Safe Drinking Water Act so would be acceptable for public drinking water supplies. The VDH also tested for substances not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. These contaminants were: boron, calcium, cobalt, lithium, magnesium, sodium, nickel, vanadium, zinc, alkalinity, bicarbonate alkalinity, carbonate alkalinity, hexavalent chromium, molybdenum, strontium, thorium, radium-228 and vanadium. The chart below shows the summary of results of what they found (you can request the information under the FOIA).

What We Found in the Water Wells of Prince William County in 2016

As part of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) holds an annual subsidized drinking water clinics for well owners. This year samples were analyzed for: iron, manganese, nitrate, lead, arsenic, fluoride, sulfate, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, sodium, copper, total coliform bacteria and E. Coli bacteria at a cost of $55 to the well owner. These are mostly the 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 this is not an exhaustive list of potential contaminants, these are the most common contaminants that effect drinking water wells. The chart below shows what we found in the 65 private wells tested in Prince William County in 2016.

In order to determine if treatment is necessary, water test results should be compared to a standard. The standard we use is the U.S.EPA Safe Drinking Water Act , SDW, private wells do not fall under the regulatory authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the Safe Drinking Water Act. The SDW act has primary and secondary drinking water standards. Primary standards are ones that can impact health and from the tested substances include: coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, nitrate, lead, and arsenic.

As in last year, the 2016 Prince William County water clinic found that almost a quarter of the wells tested present for coliform bacteria-this was a lower percentage than the overall program finds. Coliform bacteria are not a health threat itself, it is used to indicate other bacteria that may be present and identify that a well is not properly sealed from surface bacteria. The federal standard for coliform bacteria is zero, but the federal standard allows that up to 5% of samples can test positive for coliform during a month.

None of the homes tested positive for E coli. Fecal coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water is contaminated with human or animal wastes. Disease-causing microbes (pathogens) in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. These pathogens may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and those with compromised immune systems. However, people can drink water contaminated with fecal bacteria and not notice. If your water is contaminated with coliform but not fecal coliform or E. coli, then you have a nuisance bacteria problem and the source may be infiltration from the surface from rain or snow melt. Typical causes are improperly sealed well cap, failed grouting or surface drainage to the well. Shock chlorinate the well, repack the soil around the well pipe to flow away from the well and replace the well cap. Then after the next big rainstorm retest the well for coliform. If it is still present then a long-term treatment should be implemented: using UV light, ozonation, or chlorine for continuous disinfection. These systems can cost up to $2,000 installed.

If you have fecal coliform in the well or E. coli, your well is being impacted by human or animal waste and you are drinking dilute sewage. If there is not a nearby animal waste composting facility, then you are probably drinking water from a failed septic system- yours or your nearest neighbors. To solve this problem you need to fix or replace the septic system that is causing the contamination, replace the well or install a disinfection and filtration system. Disinfection does not kill Giardia or Cryptosporidium, two microscopic parasites that can be found in groundwater that has been impacted by surface water or sewage. Both parasites produce cysts that cause illness and sometimes death.

Membrane filtration is the usual treatment for these parasites- a one micron membrane is required after disinfection and can be accomplished at home with a reverse osmosis system. The failing septic systems can often be identified by using tracer dyes. While continuous disinfection will work to protect you from fecal bacteria and E. coli, be aware that if your well is being impacted by a septic system, then the well water might also have present traces of all the chemicals and substances that get poured down the drain. Long term treatment for disinfection, and micro-filtration should be implemented: using UV light, ozonation, or chlorine for continuous disinfection, carbon filtration, and anything that is used for drinking should be further treated with a reverse osmosis systems or micro membrane system that work by using pressure to force water through a semi-permeable membrane. Large quantities of wastewater are produced by reverse osmosis systems and need to bypass the septic system or they will overwhelm that system creating more groundwater problems. Reverse osmosis systems produce water very slowly, a pressurized storage tank and special faucet needs to be installed so that water is available to meet the demand for drinking and cooking.

Nitrate can contaminate well water from fertilizer use; leaking from septic tanks, sewage and erosion of natural deposits. None of the wells in our group of 65 samples had nitrate levels above the MCL. The MCL for nitrate is 10 mg/L. Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill from blue-baby syndrome and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and a blue ting to the skin common in blue-baby syndrome. The NO3 dissolves and moves easily through soil which varies seasonally and over time as plants use up the nitrate over the summer. Testing in the spring will usually produce the highest levels. Nitrate may indicate contamination from septic tanks, but do not boil the water- boiling water reduces the water and actually INCREASES the concentration of nitrates. Reverse osmosis, or ion exchange is necessary to control the nitrate.

In years past the water clinic has found almost 20% of wells tested positive for lead. This year we had 13.8% of homes have first flush lead levels above the SDWA maximum contaminant level of 0.015 Mg/L. After the first flush only one home had lead levels above the 0.15 mg/L level; however, many scientists do not believe that any level of lead is safe to drink over an extended period of time. In the homes that had elevated lead in the first draw, all but one case lead were the concentrations negatively correlated with pH values. Houses built before 1988 when the ban on lead went into effect and had low pH water had higher lead concentrations. Lead leaches 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 and corrosion control techniques such as adjusting pH or alkalinity that are commonly used to neutralize aggressive water will not work in those cases. For most instances, though, a neutralizing filter and lead removing activated carbon filters can be used to remove lead. Recently, some home water treatment companies are offering in home treatment systems that neutralize the water and add orthophosphate other phosphate solution to coat the piping to prevent further corrosion. It should work, but I have never seen such a home system and am not aware of any testing. It is important to note that elevated lead concentrations were still observed in homes built after 1988 and in one home with normal pH and built after 2000.

Iron and manganese are naturally occurring elements commonly found in groundwater in this part of the country. 9.2% of the wells tested exceed the iron standard and 1% exceeded the manganese standard. At naturally occurring levels iron and manganese do not present a health hazard. However, their presence in well water can cause unpleasant taste, staining and accumulation of mineral solids that can clog water treatment equipment and plumbing and discolored water. The standard Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) for iron is 0.3 milligrams per liter (mg/L or ppm) and 0.05 mg/L for manganese. This level of iron and manganese are easily detected by taste, smell or appearance. In addition, some types of bacteria react with soluble forms of iron and manganese and form persistent bacterial contamination in a well, water system and any treatment systems. These organisms change the iron and manganese from a soluble form into a less soluble form, thus causing precipitation and accumulation of black or reddish brown gelatinous material (slime). Masses of mucous, iron, and/or manganese can clog plumbing and water treatment equipment.

All systems of removing iron and manganese essentially involve oxidation of the soluble form or killing and removal of the iron bacteria. When the total combined iron and manganese concentration is less than 15 mg/l, an oxidizing filter is the recommended solution. An oxidizing filter supplies oxygen to convert ferrous iron into a solid form which can be filtered out of the water. Higher concentrations of iron and manganese can be treated with an aeration and filtration system. This system is not effective on water with iron/ manganese bacteria, but is very effective on soluble iron and manganese so you need to do further testing to determine what type of iron/manganese you have before you install a treatment system. Water softeners can remove low levels of iron, but are not recommended for just this purpose. Chemical oxidation can be used to remove high levels of dissolved or oxidized iron and manganese as well as treat the presence of iron/manganese (or even sulfur) bacteria. The system consists of a small pump that puts an oxidizing agent into the water before the pressure tank. The water will need about 20 minutes for oxidation to take place so treating before a holding tank or pressure tank is a must. After the solid particles have formed the water is filtered. The best oxidizing agents are chlorine or hydrogen peroxide. If chlorine is used, an activated carbon filter is often used to finish the water and remove the chlorine taste. The holding tank or pressure tank will have to be cleaned regularly to remove any settled particles.

The pH of water is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity. The pH is a logarithmic scale from 0 – 14 with 1 being very acidic and 14 very alkaline. Drinking water should be between 6.5 and 7.5. For reference and to put this into perspective, coffee has a pH of around 5 and salt water has a pH of around 9. Corrosive water, sometimes also called aggressive water is typically water with a low pH. (Alkaline water can also be corrosive.) Low pH water can corrode metal plumbing fixtures causing lead and copper to leach into the water and causing pitting and leaks in the plumbing system. The presence of lead or copper in water is most commonly leaching from the plumbing system rather than the groundwater. Acidic water is easily treated using an acid neutralizing filter. Typically these neutralizing filters use a granular marble, calcium carbonate or lime. If the water is very acidic a mixing tank using soda ash, sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide can be used. The acid neutralizing filters will increase the hardness of the water because of the addition of calcium carbonate. The sodium based systems will increase the salt content in the water. 21.5% of the wells tested were found to have acidic water this year. High pH levels are not natural to groundwater and typically result from salt water intrusion or over treatment with water softening system and/acid neutralizing systems. There was one home where this turned out to be the case.

Water that contains high levels of dissolved minerals is commonly referred to as hard. Groundwater very slowly wears away at the rocks and minerals picking up small amounts of calcium and magnesium ions. Water containing approximately 125 mg/L can begin to have a noticeable impact and is considered hard. Concentrations above 180 mg/L are considered very hard. As the mineral level climbs, bath soap combines with the minerals and forms a pasty scum that accumulates on bathtubs and sinks. You either must use more soap and detergent in washing or use specially formulated hard water soap solutions. Hard water can be just a minor annoyance with spotting and the buildup of lime scale, but once water reaches the very hard level 180 mg/L or 10.5 grains per gallon, it can become problematic, 22% of the wells had hard water exceeding that level. This year we had a well test at 346.8 mg/L, but overall on 15.4% of homes tested had hard water. Given the number of homes with elevated sodium and our local geology, it is probably a reflection of the number of homes with water softeners.

Water softening systems are used to address the problem are basically an ion exchange system. The water softening system consists of a mineral tank and a brine tank. The water supply pipe is connected to the mineral tank so that water coming into the house must pass through the tank before it can be used. The mineral tank holds small beads of resin that have a negative electrical charge. The calcium and magnesium ions are positively charged and are attracted to the negatively charged beads. This attraction makes the minerals stick to the beads as the hard water passes through the mineral tank. Sodium is often used to charge the resin beads. Water softeners can be used to remove small amounts of other metals like iron and some forms of arsenic. As the water is softened, the sodium ions are replaced and small quantities of sodium are released into the softened water, thus the salty taste of softened water. When the water softening system is recharged the excess sodium solution carrying the calcium and magnesium is flushed to the septic system which may shorten the life of the drain field.

At the present time the EPA guidance level for sodium in drinking water is 20 mg/L. This level was developed for those restricted to a total sodium intake of 500 mg/day and does not necessarily represent a necessary level for the rest of the population. Based on taste of the water levels of sodium should be below 30 to 60 mg/L based on individual taste. Water softeners ten to cost around $4,500 installed. They are often sold to solve every water quality problem because they have some ability to remove other contaminants. The resin bed used will determine specific contaminant removal. Softened water can have a low pH and high levels of chloride, corrosion control problems and softening systems can encourage the growth of reducing bacteria. Water softening systems add sodium. Reverse osmosis systems and distillation systems remove sodium and are safe for household use, but addressing hard water by using vinegar to descale pots and dishwashers, regularly draining hot water heaters, and using detergents formulated for hard water might be a better solution for you if your water like mine is only modestly hard.

For the second time this year we found a well that had arsenic exceeding the EPA MCL for drinking water of 10 ppm. While arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in soil and groundwater it is not typically found at significantly elevated levels in Prince William County. Arsenic can also be an indication of industrial or pesticide contamination and further testing should be done. Arsenic can be very tricky to remove depending on its form and the other contaminants present. Possible solutions for elevated levels of naturally occurring arsenic are reverse osmosis system, iron oxide filter system, or maybe a water softening system.

Private Wells and Health Risks in Your Drinking Water

Private wells do not fall under the regulatory authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the Safe Drinking Water Act. In the past it was always assumed that groundwater that supplies private wells is fairly safe and clean. However, recent research by the U.S. Geological Survey and studies of water borne disease outbreaks associated with untreated groundwater have found that private wells, springs and cisterns are a potential source of elevated health risk. In addition, while waterborne disease outbreaks overall have fallen since 1971, the waterborne disease outbreaks in private well systems continues to increase relative to public systems.

This is of concern because according to the EPA, approximately 15% of U.S. households, more than 47 million people get their drinking water from private wells and springs.

Preliminary efforts to survey water quality in private systems in limited studies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Virginia report that 23−58% of wells tested in their studies exceed at least one safe drinking water act health-based standard. However, since 2010 Virginia has been operating the subsidized well water testing clinics as part of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program testing wells throughout Virgininia. The goal of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program is to educate well owners, improve the water quality and protect the health of Virginians with private water supplies, such as wells, springs and cisterns. In 60 of Virginia’s 95 counties more than half the households rely on private wells, springs, and cisterns. In total there are more than 1,500,000 households in Virginia with private water supplies.

The Virginia Cooperative Extension obtained a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative Research Education and Extension Service to restart the Virginia Household Water Quality Program originally launched in 1989. Working with the researchers at Virginia Tech the program has used the data they have collected to identify characteristics in wells within counties and throughout the Commonwealth. In the 2012 clinics analysis for lead and copper were added. Participation in the drinking water clinics is voluntary and though the analysis is subsidized, participants are still charged a fee, currently $55. Homeowners who wish to participate have to hear about the clinic, show up for two meetings, purchase a water sampling kit with instructions and are asked to fill out a questionnaire about system characteristics, perceived water quality and household demographics and drop off their samples on time on the scheduled day. Typically, better educated and more affluent households participate.

The scientists at Virginia Tech have used the data from the 2012 clinics and targeted additional field study to examine, lead in drinking water from private wells. The following information is from their recent paper cited below.
Of the 2,146 samples taken in an 18 month period from spring 2012 to fall 2013, 58% of the wells sampled exceeded at least one Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) from the EPA’s safe drinking water act’s levels though only 14 of the 82 parameters were tested. Bacterial contamination was the most common issue, with 46% of systems testing positive for total coliforms with 10% having E. coli present. The most common treatment systems were water softeners which are used to treat hard water, elevated iron and manganese which were found to be less prevalent that water softener sales would indicate.

Using the action level for lead and copper as a threshold, 19% of the tested systems had elevated lead concentrations (15 μg/L) and 12% had elevated copper concentrations (1.3 mg/L) in the first draw. Lead leaches into water primarily as a result of corrosion of plumbing and well components. Corrosion control techniques such as adjusting pH or alkalinity that are commonly used in public systems are not common in private wells where the decision to install and maintain treatment is solely the prerogative and responsibility of the homeowner. As a result, though 26% of the private wells had pH outside the neutral range of 6.5-8.5 (and 89% of these were below 6.5), only 5% of private well systems had acid neutralizers installed to control pH and corrosion within the home and 3% had reverse osmosis units that could remove lead among other contaminants. 

The scientists did not find a correlation between self-reported well depths and lead concentrations, but lead concentrations were negatively correlated with pH values. The lower the pH (more acidic the water) the higher the lead concentrations found. Houses built before 1988 when the ban on lead went into effect had higher lead concentrations; however, it is important to note that elevated lead concentrations were still found in homes built after 1988. The scientists attributed this to the presence of lead in brass fixtures and faucets. If that is correct, then with the ban on lead containing materials in the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, lead release from brass components should be reduced in the future.

For most of the private well supplied systems sampled in this study, flushing for 5 minutes reduced lead concentrations below 15 μg/L. However, 2% of households experienced an increase in lead concentrations with flushing suggesting that there may be other components within the well and plumbing system that release lead and/or particulate lead and may have been mobilized. To develop effective remediation and prevention additional work must be done to increase our understanding of the mechanisms of lead release in well systems. Brass fittings and components within the well might be the source of soluble or particulate lead.

Pieper, Kelsey J.; Krometis, Leigh-Anne H. ; Gallagher Daniel L; Berham, Brian L.; and Edwards, Marc; Incidence of waterborne lead in private drinking water systems in Virginia; Journal of Water and Health; 13.3 2015. Pages 897-907.

Plan Now to Replace Your Well Pump

If you have a private drinking water well you are responsible for maintaining your well and water system to keep the water flowing to your home. There has been limited data gathered on private household water wells over the years, so a lot of what’s out there is hearsay and guesswork. The Virginian Rural Household Water Quality Program out of Virginia Tech through its well testing program is gathering data, but for now the data available is limited.

Both wells and the mechanical components of a well have a limited life. Someday the well components and well its self will have to be replaced- plan and budget for it now because you cannot live without a water supply. To avoid costly mistakes, the time to research well contractors and equipment is before your well fails. While many wells will last decades, it is reported by the groundwater association that 20 years is the average age of well failure that is failure of the well itself. Failure of the well components were not tracked separately. Mechanical failure is impacted by the type of well, the geological conditions, how it is operated and maintained and the materials of construction. In other words, it varies all over the place.

A well may fail through pumping water high in sand or gravel, corrosion from corrosive water (low pH), incrustation of the well by minerals, biofouling of the well by microbial oxidation and precipitation of iron, manganese or sulfur and the slime production, or by a failure or breakdown in the pumping equipment. Often these problems are interrelated and we will discuss that in a later blog entry. Water treatment systems are installed to protect plumbing and improve water quality in the house. Nothing is done to protect the well or keep it operational.

The essential components of a modern drilled well system are: a submersible pump, a check valve (with an additional valve every 100 feet), a pitless adaptor to bring the water to the house below the frost line, a sanitary sealed well cap to keep out vermin and bugs, electrical wiring including a control box, pressure switch, a pressure tank to literally push the water throughout the house and an interior water delivery system known as your plumbing. There are additional fittings and cut-off switches for system protection, but the above are the basics. To keep the home supplied with water each mechanical component in the system and well must remain operational and sooner or later they should all be replaced.

The well has a casing (a metal or plastic liner) that may extend the length of the well, or at least to the bedrock and then have some sort of slotted casing, screen or “sock” around the pump impeller to keep debris, sand and sediment out of the system. Over time these can become damaged by corrosive water, fouled by “iron bacteria” or clogged by sand or clay fines all of which can destroy your well’s mechanical equipment.

When you drill a well, mud and borehole cuttings can partially plug the well. This material must be removed to allow water to freely enter the well during well development. A good well driller will do a better job of this, a less than good well driller will tell you that excess sediment in your new well needs a sediment filter and will happily sell you a new pump when the first one fails prematurely from pumping sand and grit. All wells have sediment, but if the well has not been fully and properly developed the well will often produce excess amounts of sediment or have a low water production yield. Though not every well drilled has the potential to provide enough water for a household, poor choices in well completion design can render even a good well a poor producing well and result in a very short life for the mechanical equipment.

Well casings are subject to corrosion, pitting and perforation. Also, over time the amount of water a well yields can decrease. That can be caused by the water table falling due to extended drought, increased use or building in the recharge area or a deterioration in the equipment efficiency. Mineral encrustation and biofouling can cause plugging of holes in the well casing, well screen or the filling of openings in the geologic formation itself that supply water to the well. The most common encrustation and plugging of a well or its components is from the conversion of calcium bicarbonate which is soluble in water to calcium carbonate which is insoluble and caused by the reduction in pressure by the pumping action.

If you rely on a private well for your water supply, like me and 1.7 million other Virginians, you are completely responsible for routine testing, care and maintenance of that system and you should think about your water supply and equipment and plan for replacement before you have a problem. Some health departments in parts of the country that iron rich recommend chlorinating your well once a year and anytime it has been opened or serviced as a method to prevent biofouling. I chlorinate my well every couple years to address “iron bacteria” that has been a problem in the past. This also serves to keep my well fresh. When I chlorine shock the well I am essentially flushing the water system to remove residue and buildup from the system.

Somewhere in the back of my head is the statistic that the median run time for an immersion pump is about 25,000 hours that gives you about 14-17 years of residential operation depending on how your household operates. My well pump is about 12 years old, while it is my intention to replace my pump, the wiring, the pressure tank and pressure switch before they fail, it is devilishly hard to pick a time to do that. However, I can be prepared to replace the pump and related components by researching that option now. After you pump has failed is not the time to identify a contractor and pick the replacement equipment. Identifying who to call if you have a well problem is something all well owners should do before they have a problem.

The first step is to get a list well contractors where you lie who are licensed to operate in in your state. In Virginia, there have been well regulations in place since 1992 and well contractors are required to have a license from the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) as a water well system provider. Loudoun County Health Department is kind enough to maintain a public list of licensed well contractors which you can access from their web site.

You should get three proposals to compare, so you will need to narrow the list of contractors based on reputation, size of the organization and references. Call the licensed contractors and ask about availability-when your well fails you do not want to wait a week or more for an appointment. Next get at least three references for pump and pressure tank replacements from each and call them. Get as much information as you can from the references and do not forget to ask if they would use the well contractor again. Also, make sure that the well contractor has the proper equipment to pull your existing pump vertically.

Once you have selected your well contractors you need to call them for a proposal which should include equipment specifications, labor and costs. It might be a good idea to replace the pump, pressure tank and electrical at the same time, I am a big believer in this, but you should discuss this with your selected contractors. Do you want to install a 2-wire or 3-wire model pump? A 3-wire model makes maintenance easier. This is because the starter controls are above ground, wired to the pump. What size pump do you need 1 HP or 1.5, 2.0 or maybe 3.0 HP? How many gallons a minute should it pump? Do you need or want a variable speed pump? Variable speed pumps have been reported in some places to have reliability problems. What size pressure tank do you need? Are you going to replace the electrical wiring? These are all questions you want the well contractor to answer and options you want to price out while you still have water in your house. Your well contractors will not all have the same answers, you will then need to decide what you want. By going through this exercise you will be prepared to deal with both mechanical and well issues when they happen.

Loss of Pressure from the Well

It was hot and the sun was brutal, so we took a break. Grabbing a cold drink we sat in the shade of a tree on the stone enclosure I had built around my well head. I pointed out my new aluminum well cap and the ancient carpenter (who is a couple of years younger than I am) told me about his well problem. He had recently noticed that the pressure from the well had fallen. Was this failure of the well, a piping or an equipment problem?

Failure of the well itself is rarely sudden; generally there is a slow deterioration. However, during a drought it can seemingly happen suddenly. If you have water first thing in the morning and again when you get home from work, but the supply seems to run out especially when doing laundry or taking a shower. Then you may have a groundwater problem. A groundwater problem seemed unlikely after so much rain this past spring, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitoring wells in our county all show groundwater at or above the mean level for July. So the problem is unlikely to be groundwater.

To provide a reliable supply of water, a drilled well must intersect bedrock fractures containing ground water and recharge at a rate greater than the typical domestic demand of 6-10 gallons per minute or have enough storage in the well itself to supply the pump demand. Each foot of a typical six inch well, has almost a gallon and a half of storage so that a 100 foot of well has 147 gallons. Depending on how deep your well is, the crudest test of the well itself is to see if you can run it dry. My well is only 150 feet deep so running both hoses (which draw about 3 gallons per minute each) would draw down the well in about 40 minutes at normal flow. Even on the deepest home wells it would only take 3-4 hours to know if your can run your well dry, but that would not be necessary. If you have more than about 100 gallons available in well storage it is enough to supply small household needs. At that point it is more likely an equipment or system problem.

from Minn Dept of Health

Equipment problems are the most common well problems. The first step in identifying the cause of a low pressure is to check the equipment. The essential components of a modern drilled well system are: a submersible pump, a check valve (and additional valve every 100 feet), a pitless adaptor, a well cap, electrical wiring including a control box, pressure switch, the pipe to the house and the interior water delivery system. There are additional fittings and cut-off switches for system protection, but the above are the basics. To keep the home supplied with water each component in the system and well must remain operational.

If your water supply has lost pressure, and seems to be drizzling out of your faucet or showerhead at all times, your problem could simply be a loss of pressure in the pressure tank or damage to or a leak in the bladder in the pressure tank. So start in the basement. The components within the basement provide consistent water pressure at the fixtures in the house and the electrical switch that turns on the pump. The pump moves water to the basement water pressure tank, inside the tank is an air bladder that becomes compressed as water is pumped into the tank. The pressure in the tank moves the water through the house pipes so that the pump does not have to run every time you open a faucet. The pressure tank typically maintains the water pressure between 40-60 psi or 30-50 psi for smaller tanks. After the pressure drops below the cut in pressure (typically 40 psi), the electrical switch turns on the pump and the pressure in the tank increases as the tank fills. If however, the pump is not delivering water fast enough the pressure tank could fail to regain its head while the water is in use. Also, jiggle the tank to make sure that there is not a hole in the bladder and the area above the bladder is not filling with water.

The first two things to check are the pressure in the pressure tank and your circuit breakers to make sure that the problem is not electrical. If there is a short in the pump system it will blow a circuit. So turn off and on the pump’s circuit breakers or change the fuses. Pumps generally have two circuits tied together because an immersion pump draws a lot of power (240 volts). Make sure both circuits are on- a small water drizzle is one sign of a 240 volt pump getting only 120 volts. Next check the pressure gauge on your pressure tank, read it. If it is not showing a pressure of 40 psi (slightly left of center) that could be your problem. Also, turn on a tap and let the water run and while that is happening check the pressure on the tank, to make sure it does not fall. The electrical switch at the pressure tank (grey box under the gauge) turns on the pump. It is probably working since you have water, but check it anyway. Check the voltage before and after the switch just to make sure. When the pressure in the pressure tank falls to 35-40 psi the switch at the pressure tank turns on the pump. Also, you can get what is essentially a vapor lock and the tank may simply need to be drained, bleed and recharged. Before you do that check to make sure that the tubing to the valve is not clogged.

Time to look at what is happening outside. There are two types of pumps; a jet pump and a submersible pump. Most modern drilled wells are built with a submersible pumps. In older pump installations and dug wells, above ground jet pumps were often used, which potentially allowed the introduction of contaminants at the surface concrete well cap and have a fitting called a foot valve. A foot valve is also used at the base of deep wells and is basically a check valve combined with an inlet strainer (older immersion pumps sometimes have what looks like a sock protecting the inlet). Both of these serve as a strainer to prevent picking up rocks or debris that could clog or jam the foot valve. They can get clogged and diminish flow.

At this point, you are going to need help to identify the problem. It is more than a one man (or woman) job to pull a pump. Shallower pumps can be pulled by hand, but special equipment is necessary to pull a deeper pump. Call a well driller or a well repair company. The well drilling companies can generally replace, pumps and pressure tanks and other well components. In addition, they can diagnose an improper well design. Private well construction was not regulated in Virginia until the 1992 (though Prince William County had well regulations going back to 1979). I have seen some funky well designs over the years. In Virginia a license is necessary to work on a well as a certified water well provider. Plumbers generally do not have this certification. Do not call a plumber for a well problem.

Another possible problem is a leak or clog in the pitless adaptor. That is the fitting that allows the vertical well to connect to the horizontal pipe to the house below the frost line. Things like a leaky valve at the bottom of the well can result in a pump losing it prime after a power failure. The submersible pump is a long cylindrical unit that fits within the 6 inch diameter well casing. The bottom portion consists of the sealed pump motor connected to a series of impellers separated by a diffuser that drives the water up the pipe to the plumbing system through the pitless adaptor and a pipe that runs from the well beneath the ground to the basement.

The pipe to the house should run below the frost line, but this past winter was extremely harsh in many locations and a pipe or pitless adaptor might have cracked. If like me your pipe runs under a portion of the driveway, this turns out to be a fairly expensive, but simple fix-excavating the pipe and replacing it. Look for indications of a leaking pipe, sinking ground, cracks in the driveway vegetation that looks a little too lush. If you end up replacing the pipe, make sure you slope it properly. If the horizontal well piping between well and building does not slope continually upwards or if it has a high spot, an air lock can form in the piping, so make sure if you end up replacing the pipe that it is properly slanted and not just a fixed depth below surface. The casing to well itself can also develop leaks over time that can diminish flow.

Finally your pump might be failing. According to the Water Systems Council a submersible pump should last 15 years or more, but silt, sand, iron bacteria and excessive mineral content can impact their life. A submersible pump operating high sediment water may fail in only a few years and a failing pump may appear as diminished pressure before complete failure.

If you need help with a well problem, the Wellcare® Hotline is staffed by the Water Systems Council (WSC), the only non-profit organization solely focused on private wells and small well-based drinking water systems. The Hotline operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and can be reached at 888-395-1033. Also, if you are in Virginia you can call or email the Virginia Master Well Owner’s Network for help. My name and email are near the bottom of the list with the volunteers and I am happy to help if I can. You have to go through the two step to get my email to avoid spam. http://www.wellwater.bse.vt.edu/contact_mwo_table.php