Do you know what’s in your well water?

Prince William County Extension will be having a test your well water clinic in April.  The kit pick-up and drop off with be a drive by at the Extension Office in Manassas. 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/VCE-PW-VAHWQP before April 4th 2022.  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, April 9th 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. There will be a VCE tent and signs with directions in the parking lot.)

3. The Sample Drop Off on Wednesday, April 13th  from 6:30am-10am ONLY at the VCE Office, 8033 Ashton Ave., Manassas 20109. Just walk up to the VCE canopy and hand them your samples with the paperwork. 

4. Results Interpretation Meeting (Zoom)-on Tuesday, May 17th, 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 was found in the the testing conducted last year.

Solving Brown Water Problems

A gentleman contacted me through an associate. He seemed to have an unusual problem with his well water and was looking for some guidance on how to solve it. When he used lots of water from the well his water would turn dirty or brown.  The major causes of brownish or dirty water are:

1. Surface infiltration or other contamination 
2. Well collapsing or water level dropping 
3. Iron (and/or manganese) in the water
4. Iron Bacteria
5. Earthquakes
6. Rust or breakdown of the metals in in the well casing or house
7.  Pollution of the groundwater from septic or other source  

In order to solve the problem, we need to figure out what was happening for the least amount of money. A well that was drying out or collapsing bring up brown water, but generally it would stop if you let the well rest for a few hours. This brown water would last for days at a time, but there was always plenty of water. First thing I needed to do was listen to the gentleman who called me. We talked for almost two hours as I heard his story. Slowly the information I needed to help him came out in little bits as he talked. He had gathered lots of information on his well from county files, the well service company, the water treatment company he had dealt with first.

His well was about 21 years old and was 320 feet deep. It was drilled through 150 feet of clay and sand then 170 feet through granite and sand stone. The well had a casing that ran to 180 feet below grade and was properly grouted. At completion the well had a yield of 30 gallons a minute without any measurable drawdown.  I know this geology it is only about 8 to 10 miles from my house. This is fractured rock it is unlikely that the well was going dry. The well was properly built and it was not likely to be collapsing. We would save hiring a company to use a camera to look at the well as a last resort. So what was going on?

As the gentleman spoke, I told him I would need more information. I needed some water analysis. That’s when he told me that he just had his water tested when he had replaced his water softener and the other equipment which turned out to be a neutralizer. This gave me an idea of what was going on. I had him test the water ahead of the water treatment system and after the treatment when the water turned brown again after using lots of water. 

Below are some of the test results (the rest of the test results only eliminated other possibilities and are not pertinent to our discussion): 

The test results tell a story: When the new water softener and neutralizer were installed they were adjusted properly to give neutral water and iron just at the EPA MCL. However, the untreated water has a combined iron and manganese level of 5.366 mg/L, beyond the ability of a water softener to effectively treat iron and manganese and  there is a lot of iron bacteria which could further reduce the effectiveness of the water softener to remove iron. At September the iron was already breaking out. The sample taken after the treatment system and using lots of water shows massive amounts of iron! The water softener became overwhelmed with too much iron and was allowing untreated water through and shedding excess iron. 

 His water is naturally slightly acid and soft. He never needed a water softener. What he needs is to first treat the well for iron bacteria to push it back and start with a "clean slate." Then remove the water softener and install a an iron aeration and filtration system. This system is not effective on water with iron/ manganese bacteria, but is very effective soluble iron and manganese that are present in this well. The neutralizer should be kept to maintain the pH in the operating range for the iron aeration and filtration system. That should solve the problem. I'll see if we can get this straightened out in the next couple of weeks. An iron aeration and filtration system can remove up to 15 mg/L of iron and manganese. 

Iron and manganese exist in many different chemical forms. Dissolved iron and manganese are easily oxidized to a solid form by mixing with air. In surface water, iron and manganese are most likely to be trapped within suspended organic matter particles. Groundwater tends to be an oxygen poor environment; the deeper the aquifer the less dissolved oxygen is present. Iron and manganese carbonates in an oxygen poor environment are relatively soluble and can cause high levels of dissolved iron and manganese to be carried from a deep well. If sulfur is present in the water then the iron will form iron sulfide rather than iron carbonate and the water may have the familiar unpleasant rotten egg smell. 

When the iron and manganese are oxidized reddish brown or black particles form and settle out as water stands. These particles are often found trapped in washing machine filters, water treatment equipment, in plumbing fixtures and on clothing, dishes and utensils. When he sampled the well for me he took two samples of the brown water and put them on the shelf. The next time he checked them they were clear with the brown particles settled on the bottom.

Some types of bacteria react with soluble forms of iron and manganese and form persistent bacterial contamination in a water system. The reaction changes 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 impact the functioning of water treatment equipment. They also slough off in globs that become iron or manganese stains on laundry. Over time the bacteria in the well increases and precipitation caused by bacteria occurs faster and the slime tends to concentrate staining making it more annoying.

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 also called an iron filter is recommended. These filters convert dissolved iron, manganese, or hydrogen sulfide into a solid form and then filters the solid particles from water. The device uses the same casing as other products by the manufacturer, but the media in the oxidizing filter is typically a manganese-treated greensand or manufactured silica gel zeolite coated with manganese dioxide, plastic resin beads, or other trade named media. With lots of dissolved iron it is necessary to have an iron filter with an air bubble or other air blown in. Maintenance typically involves periodically recharging media with an oxidizing agent and backwashing. Iron filters need to be selected to match the pH of the water. If pH is not in the range of any of the iron filters, then a neutralizer needs to be used or it is best to use chemical oxidation if that is undesirable.

Often when there is hard water and low levels of iron and manganese, a water softener can be utilized to remove both the hardness and the iron and manganese. When the iron and manganese present in a combined concentrations are less than 5 mg/L this will work.  It is important to check the manufacturer’s maximum iron removal level recommendations before purchasing a unit as they are more expensive than iron aeration and filtration systems. This strategy should only be used when the water is hard, otherwise it is a waste of money. However, in years past using a water softener to remove iron was standard practice and there are lots of unnecessary old water softeners out there. 

As you can see, turbidity the measure of the degree to which the water loses its transparency due to the presence of suspended particulates is a problem. The more total suspended solids in the water, the murkier it seems and the higher the turbidity. Turbidity can be caused by silica, soil finds, iron or iron bacteria. Generally, iron bacteria and other reducing bacteria are not problems in the first couple of years of a well. It takes time for the bacteria introduced during drilling to spread. Iron bacteria are present in most soils and can be introduced into a well or water system during drilling, repair, or service. The most common causes of turbidity in wells are dirt and colloidal solids like the iron that are too small and too fine to settle out properly. However, after the jars of water sat on the shelf for a while the water became clear. So, it should be okay. 

 

Prince William County Wells in 2020

Last week all who participated in the 2020 Prince William County Well Water Clinic received their results by email. Above you can see the summary of what was found in the 86 wells tested. What we tested for were 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. These are the most common contaminants that effect drinking water wells.

In order to determine if treatment is necessary, water test results should be compared to a standard. The standard used was the U.S.EPA Safe Drinking Water Act (SDW) limits. Though 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 that we use for comparison. Primary standards are ones that can impact health and from the tested substances include: coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, nitrate, lead, and arsenic. Secondary standards impact taste or the perceived quality of the water.

Just because your water appears clear doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe to drink. The 2020 Prince William County water clinic found that almost 48% of the wells tested present for coliform bacteria. This is more than double what was found last year. 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.

Nine wells 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 well 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, well repairs performed without disinfecting or adequately disinfecting the well, failed grouting or surface drainage to the well. Very low levels of coliform (1-5 MPN) may present during extremely wet periods. A recent study at Penn State showed that there were significantly more positive bacteria tests during wet periods with lots of rain.  It seems when the water table is very high, or up to the surface, there is more opportunity for bacteria to move up and down in the water as it saturates the earth..

If your well had coliform bacteria present you should shock chlorinate the well (according to the procedure from VA Tech), 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 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 or in some older areas a leaking sewer line. 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.

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 works 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 86 samples had nitrate levels above the MCL.

This year they found 1.2% of homes have first draw lead levels above the SDWA maximum contaminant level of 0.015 Mg/L. After the flushing the tap for at least one minute no homes 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. Often homes that have elevated lead in the first draw, have lower pH values.

Houses built before 1988 when the ban on lead went into effect and have low pH water typically have 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.

Iron and manganese are naturally occurring elements commonly found in groundwater in this part of the country. 1.2% of the wells tested exceed the iron standard and 3.5% 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 can be 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 and are widely sold for this purpose because they are very profitable, but are now being banned in some locations due to rising sodium and chloride levels.

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 or well 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. 4.7% of the wells tested were found to have acidic water this year.

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. 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. Overall 20.9% of homes tested had hard water.

Two methods are commercially available (and certified) to treat hard water. A water softener and a water that work through a process called template assisted crystallization (TAC), have been certified by DVGW-W512 and are available in whole house units. In template assisted crystallization, water flows through a tank of TAC media. When the hard water comes into contact with the media, the magnesium and calcium ions are caught by the nucleation sites. As more calcium and magnesium ions build up within the sites, small micro-crystals form and flow through your plumbing. They do not attach themselves to your water pipes as scale.

The ubiquitous water softening system is an ion exchange system consisting of a mineral tank and a brine tank. The mineral tank holds small beads of resin that have a negative electrical charge. The calcium and magnesium ions (along with small amounts of other minerals) 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 from salt is used to charge the resin beads. The brine tank is flushed out when the resin beads are recharged carrying the salty solution to the environment. The salinity of surface waters and groundwater is an emerging environmental concern. Research has shown that salinization has affected over a third of the drainage area of the contiguous United States even in areas without road salt. At the present time the EPA guidance level for sodium in drinking water is 20 mg/L. 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-48.8% of the wells tested had elevated sodium.

1.2% of wells were found 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 this geology. Arsenic is best removed by water treatment methods such as reverse osmosis, ultra-filtration, distillation, or as a last choice ion exchange (water softeners). Typically these methods are used to treat water at only one faucet. Though anionic exchange systems (water softeners) are whole house systems, they may not be the best choice.

2020 PW Drinking Water Clinic is Happening!

The annual Prince William Drinking Water Clinic that was postponed in March due to the Governor's and County Coronavirus stay at home orders has been rescheduled and revamped to make it safer. The sign up and Kick off Meeting and interpretation meeting will now be held virtually. The sampling bottle pickup and sample drop off will be done observing social distancing.

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, this is the cheapest way to get this testing done. There are a limited number of test kits and pre-paying online is the only way to purchase them this year. Test kits must be paid for by August 24th online. . Pre-pay online by going to this link.
https://tinyurl.com/PWVCE-2020VAHWQP

The Prince William Drinking Water Clinic has 4 parts:

1. Virtual Kick-Off Meeting. Watch Kick-Off Meeting PowerPoint presentation and How to Collect Water Sample using links below:
https://www.wellwater.bse.vt.edu/files/DWC/2020-VAHWQPKickoffPresentation-COVID.ppt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2wqzuzvbK4:

2. Pick up your sample kit at the Extension office in Manassas with physical distancing measures. They will have a drive-through pick up on Saturday, August 29, 2020 from 9:00 am until noon at the Prince William County Extension Office parking lot located at 8033 Ashton Avenue, Manassas, VA 20109-8202.

3. The Sample Drop Off on Wednesday, September 2nd from 6:30am-10am ONLY at the Extension Office, 8033 Ashton Ave., Manassas 20109. (Physical distancing measures will be in place and masks are required). Collect samples as instructed by the video on the morning of the drop off and bring them to the Extension office parking lot for collection.

4. Samples will be analyzed at Virginia Tech. You will receive your confidential results via email in October. The results will include an explanation of what the results mean, and information about addressing any problems.Results Interpretation Meeting will be held on Zoom on Monday, October 5th, 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.

Join Zoom Meeting on October 5th 2020
https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/99105205328

Meeting ID: 991 0520 5328

Or Join by Skype for Business
https://virginiatech.zoom.us/skype/9910520532

You are responsible for your household water quality. Join the clinic and make you’re your well water is safe to drink. According to the 2018 Annual Report for the Virginia Household Water Quality Program from Virginia Tech, there are 1.7 million Virginians or 22% of the state’s population get their household water from a private well. Municipal water supplies are regulated and regularly tested under the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act. Private wells are the responsibility of the well owner. Over 2,000 households have their water tested each year through the Virginia Household Water Quality Program.

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 2019.

Scientists Don't Know Best Way to Disinfect a Well

A couple of weeks ago I replaced my well pump, the wiring and some fittings. After opening a well or doing any work it is recommended that the well be disinfected by shock chlorination. Shock chlorination is also recommended when a well is flooded or tests positive for bacteria.  The problem is there is no standard rigorously tested method of disinfection though there are many ways that well water can become contaminated with bacteria. For example, improper construction or completion of the well. The well might not have a sanitary well cap, the well might not be grouted. The well might have become damaged over time, for example the well casing may develop holes from rust or cracks or the grouting might be damaged by time or accident. These deficiencies can provide direct pathways for surface water to infiltrate the well and increase the likelihood of microbial contamination. Another way a well can become contaminated is if the groundwater itself is contaminated by a nearby failed septic system or in aquifer in Karst terrain that is under influence of surface water.

During well disinfection, free chlorine is introduced into the well water; however, there is no one standard for how to accomplish this disinfection. Based on a survey of emergency disinfection protocols performed by Dr. Kelsey J. Pieper et. al and published earlier this year “Improving state-level emergency well disinfection strategies in the United States”, there is no single method.

The researchers searched for Emergency well disinfection protocols to be used in the case of flooding. They found well disinfection protocols for 43 of the 50 states. For the seven states without an emergency protocol, five of the states had routine disinfection protocols and two states had disinfection protocols in their well construction regulations. Emergency well disinfection protocols from 34 states were reviewed based on instructions for creating chlorine solutions; circulating chlorine solutions throughout the distribution system; maintaining adequate contact time and post-disinfection guidance.

The scientists found that many protocols were missing key information about fundamentals of disinfection. Only two protocols instructed well users to verify chlorine residuals and three protocols instructed users to measure water pH. Most protocols recommended that high chlorine doses be introduced into the well, circulated throughout the system, and stagnated for several hours. It is important that residual chlorine be measured because if too much of the chlorine solution reacts with iron or organic substances the effectiveness for disinfection is reduced. Likewise if the pH of the well water falls outside of the ideal range of 6.5-7 the formation of HOCl will be impaired and the disinfection will be less effective.

Although there is widespread use and data on the efficacy of chlorine-based disinfectants, little research has been done to evaluate the efficacy of well disinfection strategies. Of the 8 steps identified by the scientists, the reviewed protocols contained between 2 and 7 steps, and no protocol included all 8 steps.

1. Determine  chlorine volume based on well characteristics to add to the well
2. Measuring water pH before adding chlorine solution and after
3. Pump contaminated water out of the system
4. Circulate the chlorine solution through both the well and home plumbing systems and
5. Measure the chlorine residual to ensure there is adequate chlorine to disinfect the well
6. Have adequate contact time to disinfect the well and that inactivates Cryptosporidium (for flooding)
7. Chlorine solution should be removed from the well and home plumbing
8. Water should be tested for confirmation of microbial reduction

As the scientists point out “ several studies have highlighted that emergency and routine chlorination methods do not always reduce total coliform and E. coli bacteria in well systems (Branz et al., 2017; Cavallaro et al., 2011; Garandeau et al., 2006; Luby et al., 2006; Rowe et al., 1998; Swistock and Sharpe, 2005). Since the concentration of chlorine ...is assumed to be that of the added disinfection solution, any disappearance of chlorine from the water via chemical reactions would cause disinfection efficacy to be overestimated. For example, reactions with high levels of organic matter, ferrous iron, and manganese in water can cause chlorine to disappear quickly (Cavallaro et al., 2011; Garandeau et al., 2006; Luby et al., 2006; Oliphant et al., 2002). Moreover, there are concerns about well users performing disinfection steps correctly (Eykelbosh, 2013). Lastly, researchers have highlighted the high variability and uncertainty associated with drinking water grab samples. For instance, microbial detection rates are higher when wells are sampled more frequently (Atherholt et al., 2015). Despite these challenges, officials continue to promote well disinfection protocols during both routine and emergency conditions because there are no other practical alternatives.”

The bottom line is that the protocols for well disinfection needs to be studied and improved. Most of the protocols recommended some version of high chlorine concentrations should be introduced into the well, circulated throughout the system, and stagnated for several hours. The optimal conditions were not identified. Dr. Pieper et. al. identified two research gaps; determining whether chlorine doses should differ based on well water chemistries and evaluating the appropriate chlorine dose that should be recommended for inactivating pathogens.

Read the full article:

Pieper, Kelsey & Rhoads, William & Saucier, Leslie & Katner, Adrienne & Barrett, Jason & Edwards, Marc. (2020). Improving state-level emergency well disinfection strategies in the United States. Science of The Total Environment. 720. 137451. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137451.

EPA Grants $1.9 Million to Virginia Tech

Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $1,981,500 to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Va., to research lead in drinking water. Virginia Tech will use this funding to create a public assisted framework to detect and control lead in drinking water, working collaboratively with the public, encouraging citizen scientists to participate in the research.

Lead in drinking water is a national problem, and according to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt it is one of the greatest environmental threats we face as a country, especially dangerous for our children. Flint Michigan was not an aberration nor was it the worst incidence of lead in drinking water supplies. Flint became famous for their lead problem because of a combination of determined residents, blatant misrepresentation by public officials, and the good luck of engaging Professor Marc Edwards of Virginia Tech. This allowed Flint to become the poster child for lead in drinking water that Washington DC failed to become ten years earlier. Last year in an examination of data, Reuters found 3,000 communities that had recently recorded lead levels at least double those in Flint during the peak of that city’s contamination crisis. Now, according to EPA Virginia Tech's research will move us one step closer to eradicating lead in drinking water.”

Lead does not exist in in most groundwater, rivers and lakes- the source water for most municipal and private water supplies. Instead, lead in drinking water is picked up from the pipes on its journey into a home. In older homes the water service lines delivering water from the water main in the street into each home were commonly made of lead. This practice began to fade by the 1950’s but was legal until 1988. Lead was also used to solder copper pipes together before 1988 (when the 1986 ban on lead in paint and solder went into effect). Also until very recently (2011 Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act) almost all drinking water fixtures were made from brass containing up to 8% lead, even if they carry a plated veneer of chrome, nickel or brushed aluminum and were sold as "lead-free." So even homes built with PVC piping in the 2000’s may have some lead in most of the faucets.

The nation’s water infrastructure the pipes, treatment plants and other critical components that deliver drinking water have grown old. In many of our cities water pipes installed when systems were built have only been replaced when they break. The building service lines that connect homes and businesses to the water mains are often the original lines. For decades instead of replacing lead pipes urban water companies have used chemicals to control lead and other chemicals from leaching into the water supply.

Many at the American Water Works Association and other scientists have questioned the wisdom of this strategy. Even when successful there is always some lead leaching into the drinking water. Many of us believe that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water. No amount of exposure to lead is safe. Our national goal is to eliminate exposure to lead especially for children, who are both more susceptible to lead poisoning and suffer more severe impacts. Even at very low levels once considered safe, lead can cause serious, irreversible damage to the developing brains and nervous systems of babies and young children.

According to Principal Investigator on the Project, Dr. Marc Edwards, “Our team will establish one of the largest citizen science engineering projects in U.S. history to help individuals and communities deal with our shared responsibility for controlling exposure to lead in drinking water through a combination of low-cost sampling, outreach, direct collaboration, and modeling,” Dr. Marc Edwards continued, “We will tap a growing ‘crowd’ of consumers who want to learn how to better protect themselves from lead, and in the process, also create new knowledge to protect others. Whether from wells or municipalities, we all consume water, and we can collectively work to reduce health risks.”

Do You Have Lead in Your Drinking Water?

You might have lead in your drinking water, but lead does not exist in in most groundwater, rivers and lakes- the source water for most municipal and private water supplies. In addition, water treatment plants as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act test for lead before the water leaves the plant. It is exceedingly rare to have lead in groundwater or rivers as a result of pesticides that were used decades ago or industrial activity that contaminated soil and groundwater. However, it has been estimated that 20% of urban households and an unknown number of rural household have lead in their drinking water above the 15 parts per million that is the federal Safe Drinking Water standard. So where is the lead coming from?

The lead in drinking water is predominately coming from the pipes. Lead in drinking water is most likely to occur in homes built before the mid-1950s when the water service lines delivering water from the water main in the street into each home were commonly made of lead. Lead was also used to solder copper pipes together before 1988. Also until very recently (after implementation of the 2011 Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act) almost all drinking water fixtures were made from brass containing up to 8% lead, even if they carry a plated veneer of chrome, nickel or brushed aluminum. So even a home like mine built with PVC piping in the 2000’s has some lead in most of the faucets.

Over time older pipes and fixtures corrode or simply wear away and the lead and other corrosion material (like rust) is carried to the drinking water. Time and water do cause corrosion, but this can be aggravated by the pH of the water or other changes in water chemistry. The amount of lead corroded from metal plumbing generally increases as water corrosiveness, a factor of the water’s acidity and calcium carbonate content, increases. In general, acidic water that has a pH less than 7 and that is low in calcium carbonate is more corrosive than water that has a pH higher than 7 and that is high in calcium carbonate. Soft water (low in dissolved solids like calcium and magnesium) tends to be more corrosive than hard water (with high concentrations of calcium and magnesium), and warm water is more corrosive than cold water. The common practice of grounding electrical connections to water pipes also can increase lead corrosion in the pipes.

In addition, water that sits for several hours or overnight in a pipe or brass fixture can leach lead from the brass faucet interior which may produce high lead levels in the first draw of drinking water. Though faucets purchased after 1997 contain less lead than previously used, they still can leach some lead -as evidenced by the detectible but extremely low “first draw” lead levels I find each year in my own plumbing. The most recent legislation, the 2011 Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act also called “Get the Lead Out,” mandates that after January 4, 2014, all faucets sold in the United States will contain no more than a weighted average of 0.25% lead in relation to wetted surface and can be labeled “lead free.”.

Lead can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. If your home was built before 1990 the only way to know if you have lead in your drinking water is to test.

The U. S. EPA limit for lead in drinking water is 15 parts per billion (ppb), but only requires action if limited sample monitoring for lead has not exceeded the 15 ppb action level in more than 10% of the homes tested. Cities are only required to test a very small number of homes monthly and the condition and age of the plumbing in the home really determines if lead levels will be elevated. You need to test your own home.

The true prevalence of lead in public water supplies at the tap is difficult to know because it depends on how corrosive the source water is, whether lead distribution lines are used, and whether a particular building contains leaded plumbing materials. Lead may also originate from the corrosion of brass fittings on certain types of submersible pumps used in private groundwater wells through the mid 1990's.

If you have elevated levels of lead in your home’s water you need to take action to reduce any potential exposure.

• Replace the entire lead water service pipe. Typically water service lines a partially owned by the municipality and the portion on private property is owned by the homeowner. In Fairfax County homeowners are responsible for the entire service line from the water main. Replacing only a portion of the service line may actually make the problem worse. 
• Replace the leaded components in the plumbing system with newer, non-leaded components. This usually requires replacing copper pipes and lead solder with plastic PVC or PEX pipes. 
• Install an end-of-tap water filter. Look for filters certified by the National Sanitation Foundation for lead removal and reduction. Install this filter on the tap you use most often for cooking or for water to drink. Be aware that these small units are limited in the amount of time that the filter is effective in removing lead. Reverse osmosis units and activated alumina filters are very effective in removing lead once it is in the water. These units typically are attached to the kitchen tap and treat only the water from that tap.

Arsenic in Well Water a Heart Attack Risk

Worldwide, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death. In a growing number of studies that began in Asia where chronic arsenic poisoning is a huge problem it has been found that drinking water contaminated with arsenic increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The higher the levels of arsenic the higher the death rate. (The risk was significantly increased for anyone who smoked or had ever smoked.) This has been confirmed in recent years in studies performed in Bangladesh, Taiwan, Chile and Mexico. Older studies have linked long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate. Non-cancer effects of ingesting arsenic include cardiovascular, pulmonary, immunological, neurological, and endocrine (e.g., diabetes) effects.

Arsenic exposure is not just a risk in Asia and South America. As recently reported in the New York Times a meta-analysis of data from the quarter century of data from the Strong Heart Study of 13 American Indian tribes and communities in three geographic areas: an area near Phoenix, Arizona, the southwestern area of Oklahoma, and western and central North and South Dakota found an association between chronic arsenic exposure and heart disease. The scientists compared urinary arsenic levels in the population and found that as levels of arsenic rose so did the incidence of atherosclerosis, stroke and heart attacks. For those with chronic long term exposure to arsenic the risk of cardiovascular disease could be as high as two times dependent on concentration of arsenic exposure. In general, though, the dose response is about 25% increase in death from cardiovascular disease from each increase in arsenic concentrations by about 115 parts per billion. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standard for arsenic in public water supplies is 10 parts per billion.

The Bangladesh study (by Dr. Yu Chen et al) they quantified the relationship between even low levels of arsenic exposure and increased risk of death for smokers. Study participants who were current smokers, had smoked for at least 20 years, or had smoked for at least 10 pack years at the beginning of the study were found to be 2.2-2.7 times more likely to die from heart disease.

Arsenic is a ubiquitous metal in the earth’s crust. Arsenic occurs naturally in rocks and soil, water, air, and plants and animals. It can be further released into the environment through natural activities such as volcanic action, erosion of rocks, and forest fires, or through the use of arsenic by mankind. In the United States arsenic is still widely used as a wood preservative, but arsenic is also used in paints, dyes, metals, drugs, soaps, and semi-conductors. Agricultural use in fertilizer, mining, and smelting also have contributed to arsenic releases in the environment. People are also exposed to elevated levels of arsenic through diet.

Higher levels of arsenic tend to be found more in ground water sources than in surface water sources of drinking water like rivers and lakes. Compared to the rest of the United States, western states have higher naturally occurring arsenic levels- more groundwater basins have arsenic levels higher than the 10 ppb level the EPA has identified as safe. Parts of the Midwest and New England also have some areas where groundwater arsenic concentration are greater than 10 ppb, sometimes much greater. Though the EPA regulates public water supplies, in private wells (used by 13% of the U.S. population) you are on your own for ensuring that your water is safe. The USGS believes most groundwater basins have natural arsenic concentrations that range from 2-10 ppb (the most common testing method is accurate to 5 ppb). While many groundwater systems may not have detected arsenic in their water above 10 ppb, groundwater is not uniformly mixed like surface water. The USGS states ther may be geographic "hot spots" that may have higher levels of arsenic than the predicted occurrence for that area. You should test your groundwater to know it.

The most common source of arsenic contamination in ground water is the mobilization of naturally occurring arsenic on sediments. Given the right chemical conditions in the subsurface arsenic can dissolve into ground water used for drinking water. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists have been conducting field experiments to understand the bio-geochemical processes that control arsenic mobility in ground water and might create hot spots or regions of elevated concentration of arsenic. Recent results published in the Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, show that chemical reactions between nitrate, iron, and oxygen can affect the mobility of trace amounts of arsenic. Septic systems can increase the nitrate level of groundwater. Site specific conditions, impact from your neighbors, or historic use of arsenic containing pesticides can impact the quality of your drinking water. Test you well, regularly so that you can take actions to protect your health (and don’t smoke).

E. coli in Your Water What Are Your Options

If your water comes from a well, you need, at a minimum, to test your well each year for bacteria. Even if you have a treatment system in place you need to test to make sure the water you drink, brush your teeth with and cook with is safe.  Though human senses cannot detect many contaminants, if you detect a change in the appearance, taste or smell of your water, test it immediately. If you (or your spouse) become pregnant you should test the water. I you have a new infant in the house you should test the water. A bacteria test is the most basic test to see if your water is potable, if your well tests positive for any bacteria, it is an indication that your well is being impacted by either surface contamination, an animal compost or a failing septic system and you need to do further testing.

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 for public drinking water supplies has been recently revised to reflect this, requiring public water suppliers to conduct an assessment to determine if any sanitary defects exist and correct them.  Fecal coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water is contaminated with human or animal wastes or as we like to call it in our house, poopy water. 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 coliform bacteria are still present then a long-term treatment should be implemented: using UV light, ozonation (less available for home use), or chlorine for continuous disinfection.

If you have fecal coliform in the well or E. coli, your well is being impacted by human or animal waste. 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 implement and properly maintain the right water treatment system. The failing septic systems can often be identified by using tracer dyes. Ideally, you should identify and repair the failing septic system. If it is not your system, you will have to work with the Department of Health and your neighbors to address this problem and it will take time. Even if a failing septic system is repaired, it can take days or years for the contaminated water to dissipate.

In the meantime, you need to treat your water.  Do not be grossed out by the thought of treating and then drinking what is essentially diluted and partially treated waste water. All the water that ever was or will be on earth is here right now. It is not being created or destroyed. The water on earth never rests, it is constantly moving within the hydrologic cycle along various complex pathways and over a wide variety of time scales, days, years, decades, centuries, or more. Even in generally water rich areas there are limits to the availability of water and United States has slowly and quietly begun to address the availability of water by recycling the water. Direct water recycling, using treated wastewater for beneficial purposes such as agricultural and landscape irrigation, industrial processes, toilet flushing, and replenishing a ground water basin (referred to as ground water recharge) and less commonly returning the water directly to reservoirs is expanding. Since 1978, the upper Occoquan Sewage Authority has been discharging recycled water into a stream above Occoquan Reservoir that flows right into the reservoir, one of the two potable water supply sources for Fairfax County, Virginia. Recycled water has been part of the Occoquan supply for 34 years and chances are if you lived or worked in Fairfax, parts of Prince William and Loudoun counties you have been regularly drinking recycled water.

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. In addition, ultra violet or chlorine disinfection does not kill Giardia or Cryptosporidium, two microscopic parasites that can be found in surface water and groundwater that has been impacted by surface water or sewage. Both parasites produce cysts that cause illness and sometimes death. Giardia are often found in human, beaver, muskrat, and dog feces. Cattle feces appear to be the primary source of Cryptosporidium, although these parasites have also been found in humans and other animals. Membrane filtration is the usual treatment for these parasites- a one micron membrane is required and can be accomplished at home with a reverse osmosis system. 

Long term treatment for disinfection, and micro-filtration using reverse osmosis should be implemented to address E coli or fecal coliform contamination:  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 and erosion of natural deposits but also is a contaminant from human waste and rising nitrate levels are sometimes seen before E. coli contamination.  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 is associated with contamination from septic tanks, but do not boil the water- boiling water reduces the water and actually INCREASES the concentration of nitrates. So if your water is being impacted by a septic system, you need to treat the water to remove the nitrate. Disinfection does not treat for nitrate. The appropriate treatment is for nitrate is; distillation, reverse osmosis, or ion exchange. Generally speaking, I would recommend staying away from iron exchange (water softeners) they can create as many problems as they solve and they are very expensive. Though there are situations where softening the water is really necessary do not do it as a default, softened water is believed to shorten the life of septic leach fields and cause the clogging of piping (though only limited research exists).

To properly treat well water that has been impacted by E. coli or fecal contamination, you need to disinfect the water using either a UV light or continuous chlorination. Your choice of systems should be based on personal preference and what other contaminants are present in your water. Both UV light and continuous chlorination do a good job of killing coliform bacteria including fecal coliform and E coli. However, chlorine treatment will control nuisance organisms such as iron, manganese, iron and manganese reducing bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Chlorine in water at the concentrations used for treatment is not poisonous to humans or animals. However, chlorine can impact the smell and/or taste of water even in very low concentrations. Household chlorination systems often use higher chlorine concentration than the typical 0.3 - 0.5 ppm (parts per million) concentration used for chlorination of public water supplies because the contact time is much shorter in home systems.

The typical home system uses 1-2 ppm. This elevated level of chlorine can result in the swimming pool smell and can impact the taste of food and my beloved cup of coffee. This smell can be removed using an activated carbon or charcoal filter. Trihalomethanes (THMs) are organic chemicals that may form when chlorine is used to treat water supplies that contain humic compounds. This is often the concern in large water systems that use surface water for their supply. Humic compounds form as a part of the decomposition of organic materials such as leaves, grass, wood or animal wastes. Because THMs are very seldom associated with groundwater, they are primarily a concern where surface water supplies are used. THMs can be removed from drinking water through use of an activated carbon filter. 

When installing a continuous chlorination system a chemical feed pump chlorinator is installed before the pressure tank in the basement and wired to water pump pressure switch. A fixed amount of chlorine solution is delivered with each pump discharge stroke. The chlorination system should be tested for free chlorine with test strips to adjust the dose. When the filter is in line the residual free chlorine should be under 1 ppm. You adjust the amount of chlorine by changing the length of the discharge stroke, the speed of the pump, or the running time of the pump to optimize performance of the system. Keeping a supply of good chlorine test strips and monitoring your water will allow you to optimize your system.

A contact tank for additional contact time, and a carbon media filter, for de-chlorination and removal of precipitated contaminants should be installed after the pressure tank. It might be necessary to install a larger pressure tank since to operate optimally a garnet media filter typically requires 50 pounds of pressure and small pressure tanks typically operate in 40-60 pound range. A larger pressure tank might eliminate the need for a contact tank, but be aware that the rubberized bladder can be oxidized by the chlorine over time. If you are removing large quantities of particulates from oxidized iron, manganese and sulfate a media filter that uses a graded from coarse to fine media to trap the suspended particles is necessary followed by activated carbon will deliver the best tasting water. Monitoring chlorine levels in the finished water (at the tap) assures you a supply of disinfected, water free from iron and manganese staining and hydrogen sulfide.

A UV light does not require a contact tank to kill bacteria, but since your water is being contaminated by septic waste, you might want also to have a carbon filtration system or a media filter followed by activated carbon to remove other impurities. The activated carbon filtration system will not remove iron or manganese, but can remove volatile organic chemicals, certain pesticide residues, radon, and odor and taste problems other than hydrogen sulfide (the rotten egg smell). Both disinfections systems require that you have a reverse osmosis system with a one micron membrane for removal of Giardia or Cryptosporidium. Remember that your reverse osmosis system should by-pass the septic system for its waste water discharge. A final note that very hard water will quickly clog the membrane in a reverse osmosis system. Water softeners are often recommended to solve this problem, but more frequent flushing and membrane replacement can also solve the problem. A water softener alone can cost almost $4,000 to install.  

Remember that a water treatment system in the home needs to be maintained and monitored continually. In the March 2012 Good Housekeeping magazine they evaluated home water testing kits. To test the home contaminant-detection kits, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute worked with the Water Sciences Laboratory at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Lab researchers spiked water samples with measured concentrations of contaminants the kits claimed to be able to detect, including two herbicides, nitrate, copper, lead, and bacteria. Then after following the kit's instructions, evaluated its performance at detecting the known contaminants. They found the PurTest kit to be the most accurate and easiest to use, but the second ranked First Alert test kit and was also good and significantly cheaper. These kits can be a good way to monitor the effectiveness or your water treatment system on an ongoing basis. 

2014 Water Clinic in Prince William- Come Get Your Well Tested

The Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Office will be holding a drinking water clinic for well owners in Prince William County as part of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program. The Prince William VCE welcomes our well, spring and cistern owners as well as our neighbors in Loudoun, Fairfax, and Fauquier (and anyone else in Virginia willing to drive to the clinic to join us) because it is a statewide grant from USDA Cooperative State Research, Extension and Education Service that allow Virginia to hold and subsidize the analysis cost of the analysis for the water clinics. To sign up for the program please call 703-792-7747 or email master_gardener@pwcgov.org. Please register as soon as possible so that the Prince William VCE can order enough test kits.

The program consists of two meetings- one to get instructions and pick up test kits, and the other a month later to get results and provide interpretation and recommendations. Samples will need to be dropped off at the VCE Prince William Office for analysis a day and a half after the first meeting. The samples will be analyzed for 14 chemical and bacteriological contaminants and cost only $49. Comparable analysis at a private commercial lab would cost $150-$200. Samples will be analyzed for: iron, manganese, nitrate, lead, arsenic, fluoride, sulfate, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, sodium, copper, total coliform bacteria and E. Coli bacteria.

The Kickoff Meeting will be on March 31, 2014 at 7 - 8:30 pm at the Old Courthouse, 9248 Lee Avenue in Manassas, VA 20110
A brief presentation will be given to discuss common water quality issues in your area and instructions for how to properly collect the water samples from your tap. Water sampling kits will be distributed with written sampling directions and a short survey about your water supply for data gathering purposes. Checks (or money orders) for $49 to cover the cost for the analysis and sampling kits will be collected. A friend or neighbor may drop off your check and pick up your sampling kit.

The samples should be taken early Wednesday morning and then dropped off on Wednesday April 2, 2014, between 6:30am and 10am at the VCE Prince William Office, at 8033 Ashton, Suite 105, Manassas 20109
Results Interpretation Meeting will be held on April , 7-8:30 pm once more at the Old Courthouse 9248 Lee Avenue, Manassas, VA 20110
Participants will receive their confidential water test results. A presentation will be given that explains what the numbers on the test report mean and what possible options participants may consider to deal with water problems. Experts will be on hand to answer any specific questions you may have about your water and water system. I will be one of volunteers present to help with the program. Come join us.

Just because your water appears clear doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe to drink. You cannot taste bacterial contamination from human and animal waste, nor nitrate/ nitrite contamination which can in excessive levels be deadly to newborns and infants. Since bacterial contamination cannot be detected by taste, smell, or sight, all drinking water wells should be tested at least annually for Coliform bacteria and E Coli. Testing is the only way to detect contamination in your water. Testing is not mandatory, but should be done to ensure your family’s safety. The Virginia Private Well Regulations only specify construction requirements. There are no requirements for maintenance or water testing after a well is approved. Maintenance and ensuring that water is safe to drink is the responsibility of the owner.

Under the Safe Drinking Water Act the U.S. EPA requires that all public water supplies be tested for a list of 80 primary contaminants on a regular basis and meet these minimum standards. In addition, EPA has 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. Neither the primary nor secondary safe drinking water standards apply to private wells, but these standards can be used as guidance to determine what levels of water constituents is too much and should be addressed. Contamination from human and animal waste and chemicals can be real health hazards and should be addressed immediately. However, most of the water quality issues with private wells are from naturally occurring contamination or impurities. While many natural contaminants such as iron, sulfate, and manganese are not considered serious health hazards, they can give drinking water an unpleasant taste, odor, or color and be annoying and persistent problems and EPA has established secondary standards that can be used as guidance. Excessive levels of sodium, total dissolved solids, harness, can be an annoyance and impact appliances. Several of the naturally occurring contaminants that commonly appear in well water are primary contaminants under the Safe Drinking Water Act and can be a health hazard- nitrate, lead, arsenic, floride, and copper. The VCE Drinking Water Clinic will test for these.

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. This all begins with testing and understanding your water and properly maintaining your water system. 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. Homeowners relying on private water supplies are responsible for all aspects of their water system’s management, but may lack the knowledge and resources to effectively and properly manage and maintain their wells and water systems. Until a big problem arises, many homeowners ignore their private water systems sometimes accepting sub-optimal treatment or taste. All wells should be routinely tested every 1-3 years. If there is a pregnant woman or infant in the home the water should be tested. If there is any change in the taste, appearance, odor of water or your system is serviced or repaired then water should be tested to confirm that no contaminants were introduced.

In addition running the drinking water clinics VCE has established the Virginia Master Well Owner Network (VAMWON), a group of Virginia Cooperative Extension educator/agents and screened volunteers trained in proper well construction and location, appropriate maintenance and protection of wells and springs, interpretation of water tests, and water treatment options. These educator/agents and volunteers form an excellent resource base for homeowners. If you are a private water system owner, consider contacting a Master Well Owner in your area if you cannot join us for the water clinic.

Using Chlorine to Fix Problematic Well Water

I have been rethinking water treatment after working with some local well owners to solve their problems. Water softeners are the most often sold to treat well water. Water softeners work by replacing hard water ions (calcium and magnesium, which are positively charged ions) with sodium ions. This ion exchange occurs as water flows through the ion-exchange resin in the softener tank. Water softener systems require the regular addition of sodium pellets and are expensive to install. To a limited extent these systems can address low levels of iron and manganese, but really only soften water. However, water softeners can create a slew of problems by offering a hospitable environment for nuisance bacteria to thrive.

Though there are frequently more issues to consider than if the water is hard or soft, water containing approximately 125 milligrams of calcium, magnesium and iron per liter of water (or 8 grains per gallon) is considered hard. Concentration of magnesium and calcium above 180 milligrams per liter is 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 which are available in most locations. These hard water minerals also combine with soap in the laundry, and the residue doesn’t rinse well from fabric, leaving clothes dull. Hard water spots appear on everything that is washed in and around the home from dishes and silverware to the floor tiles and car, but adding a half cup of white vinegar to laundry and dishwasher, occasionally boiling your kettle with vinegar solves many of these problems. Hard water is likely to reduce the life of your hot water heater due to the buildup of sediment in the tank. Nonetheless, I, like many people, have a personal preference for the taste and feel of slightly hard water, so I have never considered softening.

In many parts of the country (including mine) the water contains high levels of dissolved minerals beyond just calcium. Groundwater very slowly wears away at the rocks and minerals picking up small amounts of calcium, iron and magnesium ions as well as other elements in the rock and soil. Water analysis should be performed before any treatment is considered to make sure the selected treatment is necessary and appropriate for your water. Remember a treatment system not only has to be maintained, but curing one problem may cause another. No treatment is without consequences and an inappropriate treatment could create other problems.

That said, I have been thinking about chlorination, the oldest method of disinfection to solve the most vexing problems in private wells- especially here in Prince William County. Iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide are together responsible for more people labeling their water “bad” than hard water, or for that matter water that contains coliform bacteria. Chlorine will oxidize iron and manganese so they can be filtered out and also oxidize hydrogen sulfide to reduce or eliminate the rotten egg order that can render well water here undrinkable. Chlorination followed by a media filter or a rechargeable carbon filter to capture particles and precipitate and the free chlorine can produce pleasant, sanitary water.

Typically, I recommend shock chlorination to address storm related flooding or a significant infestation of iron bacteria, and have used it for that myself. Continuous chlorination can be used to ensure a bacterial free well when coliform bacteria are a recurring seasonal problem. However, if fecal coliform or E-coli bacteria have entered your well water supply, it is recommended that the source of contamination be eliminated- find the leaking septic system and repair it or drill a new well. Chlorine will not remove nitrates from water and the elevated levels of nitrates associated with septic contamination can kill infants. Adding chlorine may prevent nitrates from being reduced to the toxic nitrite form; however, nitrates are not removed from water by chlorination.

In addition, chlorine does not kill Giardia or Cryptosporidium, two microscopic parasites that can be found in surface water and groundwater that has been impacted by surface water in karst terrain. Both parasites produce cysts that cause illness and sometimes death. After feeding, the parasites form new cysts, which are then passed in the feces of the host. Giardia are often found in human, beaver, muskrat, and dog feces. Cattle feces appear to be the primary source of Cryptosporidium, although these parasites have also been found in humans and other animals. Drinking water can become contaminated when feces containing the parasites are deposited or flushed into water. Membrane filtration is the usual treatment for these parasites- a one micron membrane is required.

Chlorine in water at the concentrations used for treatment is not poisonous to humans or animals. However, chlorine can impact the smell and/or taste of water even in very low concentrations. Household chlorination systems often use higher chlorine concentration than the typical 0.3 - 0.5 ppm (parts per million) concentration used for chlorination of public water supplies because the contact time is much shorter in home systems. The typical home system uses 1-2 ppm. This elevated level of chlorine can result in the swimming pool smell and can impact the taste of food and my beloved cup of coffee. This smell can be removed using an activated carbon or charcoal filter. Trihalomethanes (THMs) are organic chemicals that may form when chlorine is used to treat water supplies that contain humic compounds. This is often the concern in large water systems that use surface water for their supply. Humic compounds form as a part of the decomposition of organic materials such as leaves, grass, wood or animal wastes. Because THMs are very seldom associated with groundwater, they are primarily a concern where surface water supplies are used. THMs can be removed from drinking water through use of an activated carbon filter.

Chlorine treatment will control nuisance organisms such as iron, iron bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Iron bacteria feed on the iron in the water. They may appear as a slimy, reddish mass in the toilet tank but microscopic examination is needed to confirm their presence. Iron bacteria that have penetrated the water-bearing formation are extremely difficult to eliminate using shock chlorination of the well and will likely re-infest the system over time. In this situation you will need to repeat chlorination treatment periodically. Sulfate-reducing bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) which has that horrible “rotten egg” smell and awful taste. Your nose alone can verify the presence of hydrogen sulfide, but not its cause. Nuisance bacteria do not cause disease. Low levels of chlorine are able to oxidize large concentrations of iron, manganese and sulfate or hydrogen sulfide into an insoluble form that can then be filtered out.

When installing a continuous chlorination system a chemical feed pump chlorinator is installed before the pressure tank in the basement and wired to water pump pressure switch. A fixed amount of chlorine solution is delivered with each pump discharge stroke. The chlorination system should be tested for free chlorine with test strips to adjust the dose. When the filter is in line the residual free chlorine should be under 1 ppm. You adjust the amount of chlorine by changing the length of the discharge stroke, the speed of the pump, or the running time of the pump to optimize performance of the system. Keeping a supply of good chlorine test strips and monitoring your water will allow you to optimize your system.

from Excel Water Web Site

A contact tank for additional contact time, and a carbon media filter, for de-chlorination and removal of precipitated contaminants should be installed after the pressure tank. It might be necessary to install a larger pressure tank since to operate optimally a garnet media filter typically requires 50 pounds of pressure and small pressure tanks typically operate in 40-60 pound range. A larger pressure tank might eliminate the need for a contact tank, but be aware that the rubberized bladder can be oxidized by the chlorine over time. If you are removing large quantities of particulates from oxidized iron, manganese and sulfate a media filter that uses a graded from coarse to fine media to trap the suspended particles is necessary followed by activated carbon will deliver the best tasting water. Monitoring chlorine levels in the finished water (at the tap) assures you a supply of disinfected, water free from iron and manganese staining and hydrogen sulfide.

Hydrogen Sulfide-the Rotten Egg Smell in Well Water

Hydrogen Sulfide gas (H2S) gives water that awful “rotten egg” taste and smell and can be a fairly common occurrence in parts of the country, like Prince William County, Virginia where the groundwater is naturally high in sulfate. This problem can be solved, but let’s back up and start at the beginning. You have to first have sulfate present to have hydrogen sulfide. The EPA guidance for sulfate is 250 ppm for taste, but may be unnoticeable at higher levels, but excessive levels may have a laxative effect. Hydrogen sulfide naturally occurs in shale, sandstone, and near coal or oil fields, but can also be created by sulfur reducing bacteria “eating” the sulfate. According to the EPA, sulfur-reducing bacteria pose no known health risks. Sulfur-reducing bacteria live in oxygen-deficient environments such as deep wells, plumbing systems, water softeners, and water heaters. Often these bacteria flourish in plumbing systems. Sulfate reduction can occur over a wide range of pH, pressure, temperature, and salinity conditions and produce the rotten egg smell and the blackening of water and sediment by the formation of iron sulfide if iron is also present in the groundwater or plumbing system.  

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 and potentially lethal at 800 parts per million after 5 minutes of exposure, the Occupation Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, OSHA has established 10 ppm (20 times the concentration that you can smell it at) as the safe limit. 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 be corrosive to metals such as iron, steel, copper, and brass, and it can cause yellow or black stains on kitchen and bathroom fixtures, but the big problem is the smell, the water is undrinkable and unusable with that smell. Some water treatment systems can actually create the problem within the plumbing system, and some water treatment companies that specialize in selling water softener systems for all problems may think that the problem is unsolvable, but that is not true. Most hydrogen sulfide problems can be solved if the correct solution is implemented. So if you smell Hydrogen sulfide in your well water you need to figure out what is going on to correctly identify a solution.

 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. It is only guessed at how the bacteria enter the well or plumbing system and how associated these bacteria are to the iron and manganese eating bacteria, but 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.

Because hydrogen sulfate is so easily smelled by the typical human being, just this one time, most (but not all) of the testing will be done by smell. You need to be systematic and frequently step outside the home so that you do not grow accustomed to the smell. First thing is to determine if the smell is coming from the plumbing system or the well system. You will need to smell the water coming out of the hot water faucet and cold water faucet. This is best done at a sink that has a so called widespread or centerset two handled faucet to ensure there is no mixing. Now run the hot water and smell. Note whether there is a hydrogen sulfide smell from that tap. Is the smell constant or does it diminish after the water has run a while, or is the smell variable. Now do the same for the cold water tap. After you finish this go outside and run the hoses and determine if there is hydrogen sulfide smell to that water and whether it diminishes or stays constant. Repeat the process to make sure that you get the same results.

If the smell is only from the hot water faucet and not from the cold water or the hoses, 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.  Unless you are very familiar with operations and maintenance of hot water heaters, you should call a plumber. There is no standard test for sulfur reducing bacteria, so it is difficult to differentiate between a bacteria problem and something that might be solely sulfate reacting with the magnesium. You need to treat the hot water tank for both situations so 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. This will generally kill the sulfur reducing 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. This probably won’t last, if 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.

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 a gallon or so and pour a half gallon of household bleach (5.25% hypochlorite) into the tank. Use either the temperature and pressure valve, 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.  

If the hydrogen sulfide smell is in both the hot water facet and the cold water faucet, but not from the hoses, then the problem is likely to be sulfur reducing bacteria in the plumbing system (after the pressure tank). Sulfur reducing bacteria just love to live in water softeners. If there is a water softener in the house, first consider removing it. Water softeners are often installed as an expensive fix for a mild iron and manganese problem. High concentrations of dissolved hydrogen sulfide can foul the resin bed of an ion exchange water softener. When a hydrogen sulfide odor occurs in treated water (softened or filtered) and no hydrogen sulfide is detected in the non-treated water (the hoses), it usually indicates the presence of some form of sulfate-reducing bacteria in the system. Water softeners provide an environment for these bacteria to grow. These “salt-loving” bacteria, that use sulfates as an energy source, may produce a black slime inside water softeners. If you have modest sulfate, but no rotten egg smell, installing a water softening system may create additional problems, especially if the system is not meticulously maintained. The first solution is to get rid of the water softener. Test your water to see how hard it actually is. If your water softener was really intended to solve an iron and/or manganese problem then it could be replaced with an oxidizing greensand filter which can be used to remove iron (with water with pH above 6.7) manganese and hydrogen sulfide. If your water is so hard that you cannot live with it, then you will have to disinfect the water softener (according to manufacturer recommendations or the instructions available from Minnesota Extension) and meticulously maintain and disinfect the water softener in the future.

If the hydrogen sulfide smell is strong when the water in either faucet is first turned on and then seems to go away after the water has run a while, then it is probably sulfur reducing bacteria in the well system or plumbing system. If the hoses do not have any hydrogen sulfide smell than the bacteria is in your plumbing system otherwise the bacteria is in the well or both the well and the plumbing system. When the hydrogen sulfide smell and taste problem is caused by the presence of sulfate and sulfur-reducing bacteria in the well or plumbing system then shock chlorination using a high dose of chlorine and sufficient contact time to kill the non-pathogenic iron, manganese and sulfur reducing bacteria which can be difficult to kill because of the associated slimy secretion. Effective treatment requires sufficient chlorine strength and time in contact with the bacteria. Though you typically use a chlorine concentration of 200 parts per million for decontamination of a well, a higher concentration is recommended for sulfur (and iron) reducing bacteria. Recommended concentrations are between 400-1,000 parts per million. Be warned that high concentrations of chlorine may affect water conditioning equipment, appliances such as dishwashers, and septic systems. You may want to check with the manufacturer of the appliances before chlorinating and be careful to drain as little as possible to the septic system. If you do not want to treat your well yourself, hire a well driller to disinfect the well. Be sure to tell them that you need about 4 times the usual amount of chlorine and do not need confirmation testing. (Typically well drillers do this for coliform bacterial contamination.) If you want to do this yourself, I like the instructions from either Minnesota or Virginia. Detailed instructions to calculate the amount of chlorine bleach to use and the steps to take to treat the well are available from either state, but Minnesota includes instructions for water softeners and other water treatment systems).Remember to use 4 times the chlorine they suggest for the initial well treatment since these are the instruction for the less persistent coliform bacteria.  

If the hydrogen sulfide smell is strong in the hoses and the hot and cold water faucets and remains fairly constant with use, then the problem is probably hydrogen sulfide gas in the groundwater.  As mentioned above, the oxidizing greensand filter can be a very effective solution for water that has both iron and manganese, or iron and hydrogen sulfide odor, or iron reducing or sulfur reducing bacteria. The pH of the water needs to be close to neutral (above 6.7-7) for a greensand filter to work, so now would be a good time to test the well water for iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, and coliform and E. coli bacteria. It is important to understand the quantities of hydrogen sulfide and to make sure that the well has not been contaminated with sewage waste. For higher levels of hydrogen sulfide injecting an oxidizing agent, like chlorine,before the pressure tank followed by an activated carbon filter can solve both a hydrogen sulfide problem and an iron problem. Generally, these systems should be installed by professionals and confirmation testing performed.