A falling Static Water Level in Prince William

Recently, when I replaced my pump, I took the opportunity to have my static water level measured. Monticello Pump Service used a sonic water level meter to measure the water level. Sonic meters are often accurate to within 1/10of a foot, but that was good enough for my purposes. The measured level was 43 feet below grade. Sixteen years ago when the well was installed the static water level was 30 feet below grade. The recharge for the well at completion was 60 gallons per minute and is still quite powerful as demonstrated by my running the hoses to clear the chlorine from the system for 16 hours without a problem. What the falling water level appears to be indicating is that the groundwater table is falling.

The water level in a groundwater well usually fluctuates naturally during the year. Groundwater levels tend to be highest in the early spring in response to winter snow melt 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.

However, groundwater levels can be affected by how many other wells draw from the aquifer, how much groundwater is being used in the surrounding area for agricultural, industrial or commercial use, or how much groundwater is being recharged. Development of an area can impact groundwater recharge. Land use changes that increases impervious cover from roads, pavement and buildings does two things. It reduces the open area for rain and snow to seep into the ground and percolate into the groundwater and the impervious surfaces cause stormwater velocity to increase preventing water from having enough time to percolate into the earth, increasing storm flooding and preventing recharge of groundwater from occurring. Slowly, over time, this can reduce groundwater supply and the water table falls.

Increasing population density as we have been doing here in the Rural Crescent of Prince William County increases water use. Significant increases in groundwater use and reduction in aquifer recharge can result in the slowly falling water levels that indicate that the water is being used up. Unless there is an earthquake or other geological event groundwater changes are not abrupt and problems with water supply tend to happen very slowly as demand increases with construction and recharge is impacted by adding paved roads, driveways, houses and other impervious surfaces. That appears to be what is happening in this area of Prince William County.

The U.S. Geological Survey, USGS, maintains a group of groundwater monitoring wells in Virginia that measure groundwater conditions daily and can be viewed online. Only one of the Virginia wells is within the Rural Crescent. That well is in the northwest portion of the Rural Area just west or Route 15 in the Culpeper groundwater basin not too far from my home. Daily monitoring data available from that well go back to 2004 (other records exist covering 39 years 1975-2014, but are no longer available on line). What can be seen in the graph below is the slow decline in the water level despite not experiencing any significant droughts since 2008 and having the wettest year on record in 2018. The decline is modest over this period, but will continue and get worse over time especially if demand for groundwater is increased and impervious surfaces continue to grow, reducing recharge.

USGS 49V

In the monitoring well the fall lows have been getting lower and the recharge even in 2018, the wettest year on record, did not reach the level of recharge during a drought in 2007-8. We appear to have a problem in this area. There is no information available in any other area of the Rural Crescent. Prince William County needs to engage the USGS and DEQ to study the groundwater in Prince William County expanding on the study they are performing for Fauquier County.

Little is known about the sustainability of our groundwater basins, but potential problems are still at a manageable stage. Groundwater models and data from more monitoring wells can help develop a picture of the volume of the water within the groundwater basin and at what rate it is being used and at what rate it is being recharged. We need to know if the current and planned use of our groundwater is sustainable even in drought years. We need to understand how ground cover by roads, parking lots and buildings will impact groundwater recharge and what level of groundwater withdrawals are sustainable on site to determine if a proposed change in land use or additional use of groundwater is sustainable before it is granted. Without coordinated and proactive management, the aquifers supplying our region will be depleted.

How to Lookup if Chickens allowed at Your House in Prince William County

Back in 2011 the Board of Supervisors changed the zoning to allow backyard chickens in some parts of Prince William County. The Supervisors voted to create a Domestic Fowl Overlay District in the county where residents can keep a limited number of chickens and other domestic fowl. To know if your house is within the “Domestic Fowl Overlay District” you start by going to the  Prince William County RealEstate Assessment site at this link.

Next you enter the number and name of the street without street direction (N, S, E, W) or suffix (St, Dr., Ave, Ct etc.) and hit search. 

This takes you to the property information page. You notice I am using as an example Reagan Middle School in Haymarket.  I did this because the information page has lots of information about the property: Who owns it, the purchase price, taxes, size additions etc.

If you look at the top of the page, along the first row are three tabs; General information, notes and map. Click on map. This takes you to the GIS mapping for the property that looks something like this.

In the upper left corner of the map site is a drop down menu that says layers. Click on “Land Development” in the left hand column and check the box forth from the bottom of the list on the right for Domestic Fowl Overlay District. If you property turns coral it is in the overlay district.

Next click the box for zoning. If your property is in the Domestic Fowl Overlay District you need to know the zoning to know your next steps. Reagan Middle School is zoned A-1. Note that when you check the zoning box the coral color disappears.

In areas of the overlay district (coral areas) that are zoned A-1 and consisting of more than one acre, chickens and domestic fowl are permitted “by right” subject only to any restrictions that may exist in the HOA Covenants and Restrictions. In areas of the Domestic Fowl Overlay District that are zoned SR-1, SR-3 or SR-5  that have more than one acre and not further restricted by HOA Covenants and Restrictions, chickens and domestic fowl are permitted after a Special Use Permit is obtained from the County.

To obtain the Special Use Permit for those in areas zoned SR-1, SR-3, SR-5 within the Domestic Fowl Overlay District, you first fill out an application. Then the Special Use Permit applications are submitted to the Planning Office for staff review. The planning staff will then prepare an analysis and recommendation for consideration by the Planning Commission at a public hearing. The Planning Commission will then submit its recommendation to the Board of County Supervisors, and at a subsequent public hearing the Board will consider the case and the Planning Commission recommendation and either approve or deny the application. The Board action is final.

There are additional rules for the keeping domestic fowl in the county. The domestic fowl regulations require coops or cages and runs on any lot with less than five acres and specifies construction standards and humane areas for each bird, distance from Resource Protected Areas (RPA) under the Chesapeake Bay Act, distance from well heads. The required coops, cages or runs must be enclosed with a minimum four feet high chicken wire fence and must be kept clean and free from excess feed, excrement, and such substances that may attract rodents or other predators. In addition, runs and cages for chickens must have a maximum density of four square feet per bird. For larger fowl, such as geese or turkey, the maximum run or cage density per bird is 15 square feet. For emus, ostriches and similar large birds, the maximum run or cage density is 100 square feet per bird.

Coops and runs must be located only in the rear or side yard and be at least five feet from the principal dwelling on the property and at least 100 feet from an RPA stream (Resource Protected Area under the Chesapeake Bay Act) and 50 feet from all other streams. A zoning permit must be obtained for these structures even in A-1 zoned properties. Waste management guidelines for surface and groundwater protection were established using Prince William Soil and Water Conservation district guidance. You can get the specifics from the District.

Prince William also regulates how the chicken and domestic fowl can be used. Fowl raised on properties less than five acres in size may only be used for producing eggs. No "dispatch" of fowl may take place on the premises. Chickens and domestic fowl raised on properties five acres or larger but less than ten acres may be dispatched for domestic use only- so you can’t sell them. Fowl raised on parcels of ten acres or larger can be sold if the property is not further restricted by HOA Covenants, many rural neighborhoods restrict the number of animals that can be maintained on site and the type of activities that can take place within the neighborhood. These restrictions take precedence.  

Spring Flushing of the Water Mains

As part of the annual maintenance program on March 23th, 2020 Fairfax Water and the Washington Aqueduct, Loudoun Water and the City of Manassas switched from chloramine to chlorine to disinfect their water. During this time, Arlington Department of Environmental Services, DC Water, the Prince William Service Authority, Loudoun Water and Fairfax Water began flushing their water distribution systems. Each spring these water distribution companies flush their water mains by opening fire hydrants and allowing them to flow freely for a short period of time.

Fairfax Water will disinfect with chlorine from March 23th to June 17th and the water systems the flushing of the water mains in Fairfax and Prince William will occur during that time. Crews from the Service Authority and Fairfax Water will open hydrants throughout their service area in brief intervals in order to draw water more forcefully through the distribution system. This helps to dislodge sediment that may have collected in water mains over the past year. In DC, the flushing will occur from March 23 through May 4, 2019. DC Water purchases treated drinking water from the Washington Aqueduct. Loudoun Water announced they were starting their program on March 17th .During the temporary switch to chlorine, the Washington Aqueduct will continue to add a corrosion control inhibitor during this temporary switch to prevent lead release into the water system.

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

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

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

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

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

Only Flush Toilet Paper

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sent out a press release to remind us to only flush toilet paper, not disinfecting wipes or other non-flushable items that some have resorted to in the absence of toilet paper (that includes facial tissue) that should be disposed of in the trash. Toilet paper is designed to break down easily. Flushing only toilet paper helps ensure that the toilets, plumbing, sewer systems and septic systems will continue working properly to safely manage our nation’s wastewater.

Toilet and sewer backups can pose a threat to human health and present an extra challenge to our water utilities and their workforce. Flushing anything other than toilet paper, including disinfecting wipes, can damage internal plumbing, local sewer systems and septic systems. Fixing these backups is costly and takes time and resources away from ensuring that wastewater management systems are otherwise working properly.

Only toilet paper and human waste should go down the toilet. Do not flush wipes, facial tissues, paper towels, floss, cotton swabs or other items such as coffee grinds, kitty litter. The wastewater treatment systems are not designed to do any more than screen out trash, skim off scum and grease and use bacterial action to digest toilet paper and bio-solids. Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, hydrocarbons and anything else you or your children can think to pour down the drain will either clog the system or be released into our waterways or the Bay. Also, a reminder; cooking grease hardens when it cools in the sewer pipes. This can constrict the sewer pipes or form blockages that increasing pressure and often causing sewer pipe failure. Do not pour grease down the drain.

For septic systems owners you need to limit what goes down the drain to prevent bacterial die-off in the tank so that it will continue to function as designed. Die-off of the bacteria necessary for a septic system to perform properly has been seen in experiments where excessive amount of harsh household chemicals were added to the septic tank. As little as of 1.85 gallons of liquid bleach, 5.0 gallons of liquid Lysol cleaner, or 11.3 grams of Drano drain cleaner added to a 1,000-gallon septic tank have caused die-off of the bacteria in experiments. Other factors that can cause die-off include the excessive use of anti-bacterial agents, and, in certain cases, antibiotic medications taken by members of a household.

Having fully operational wastewater services is critical to containing COVID-19 and protecting Americans from other public health risks. Our nation’s wastewater employees are everyday heroes who are on the frontline of protecting human health and the environment every single day.

Further Restrictions In Virginia

On Monday March 30th Governor Ralph Northam expanded the restriction in Virginia and declared a stay at home order in response to COVID-19 and the increasing number of cases in Virginia. Effective 11:59 p.m., Monday March 30th , 2020 until 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, June 10th, 2020, All individuals in Virginia shall remain at their place of residence, except as provided below by this Order and Executive Order 53.

When using shared or outdoor spaces, you must maintain social distancing of at least six feet except from family or household members or caretakers. You can only leave their residences for the purpose of:

• Obtaining food, beverages, goods, or services as permitted in Executive Order 53;
• Seeking medical attention, essential social services, governmental services, assistance from law enforcement, or emergency services;
• Taking care of other individuals, animals, or visiting the home of a family member;
• Traveling required by court order or to facilitate child custody, visitation, or child care;
• Engaging in outdoor activity, including exercise, provided individuals comply with social distancing requirements;
• Traveling to and from one’s residence, place of worship, or work;
• Traveling to and from an educational institution;
• Volunteering with organizations that provide charitable or social services.

This order also closed all campgrounds to reservations of less than 14 days. Allowing those living at the campgrounds to remain. You can read both the full order here.

The hope is to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus so that the medical facilities will not be overwhelmed. Life and the service economy are coming to a screeching halt. I am worried how hotel workers, retail clerks, waiters, cooks, hairdressers, nail technicians, house cleaners, people employed by non-government employers will fair over the next 10 weeks. There are a significant number of people who may not have money for food, rent, loan payments?

Replacing My Well Pump and Pressure Tank

While hanging around the house practicing social distancing the time had come to replace my well pump and pressure tank. Pump companies provide an essential service and were operating. So, last Friday, Monticello Pump Service came out to do the job (while staying 6 feet from me). Like 1.7 million other Virginians I rely on a well for my water supply and the responsibility for routine testing, care and maintenance of that system is mine. I had  planned to replace the mechanical components of the well when it reached 17 years old because the design parameters 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.

However, last summer I decided that this year I would replace my well mechanical equipment. In the last couple of years I had experienced minor little problems... I sheared a bolt on my well cap in 2018 when I opened the well to chlorine treat it. I chlorinate my well on even number years to prevent  bio-fouling of the well by the iron bacteria. Several months after that I had to take apart the pressure switch and clean the contacts.

Then last summer the water supply burped, and I had a short lived episode of brown tinged water. When checked the pump was pulling a steady 7.5 amps without so much as a flutter. The pressure gauge was not working, but the pressure switch was working fine and the pressure tank was still also working fine delivering water throughout the house. The pressure gauge does not control the pressure switch it is just an indicator (like the gas gauge in your car). The water cleared quickly, the well tested negative for coliform bacteria and the system seemed to be fine- but still I decided that was my warning and I should plan to replace the well’s mechanical equipment in the spring of 2020 when I would be chlorine treating the well anyway and be without water for a day or more anyway.

Friday was the day. Jason of Monticello Pump Service in Manassas came out to replace the well pump, the wiring, the pressure tank, pressure switch and gauge and the well cap. I went with a Schaffer 3200 series ¾ horsepower 15 gallon a minute pump (pictured below). Schaffer is the renamed pump from Franklin. Jason started with the pressure tank. It took about an hour and a half to replace the pressure tank and control center and test its performance. Then it was onto the well. My well is not that deep and Jason and his associate were able to pull it by hand over a wheel hooked to the well casing.

Shaffer 3200 series 3/4 hp 15 gpm pump.

New pressure tank and controller

connecting the torque arrestor

dropping the pump into the well

testing the pump

The pump came up and was showing its age. They replaced the pump, the wires (including a ground) the brass insert adapter, the check valve, added wire guards and a torque arrestor. Instead of wire guards the wire had just been taped to the 200 series poly pipe. In two and a half hours the new pump was in the well with a couple of cups of high-test calcium hypochlorite. The wiring converted to a two wire from a three. The pump tested, and new well cap in place. After that all I had to do was wait for 24 hours for the well to settle and the chlorine to disinfect the well.

the old pump

After about 21 hours Saturday afternoon the hose was turned on and left to run for the next 12 hours. I cannot run my well dry-it recharges faster than I can pump. So, I need to keep diluting the chlorine solution by pumping the well to rid my well of it. After about 12 hours the chlorine tested below 2 ppm on the pool test strips and looked clear. It was time open the valve to the hot water heater and let begin using the water again. It would still be a couple of days before all trace of the chlorine was flushed from the system, but we were good with filtered water for coffee until then. 

Virginia Declares a State of Emergency

On Monday Governor Ralph Northam expanded the restriction in Virginia and declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19 and the increasing number of cases in Virginia. Effective 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, March 24, 2020 until 11:59 p.m., Thursday, April 23, 2020, all public and private in person gatherings of 10 or more individuals are prohibited in Virginia.

The Executive order which you can read in full here also contained these additional measures:

• Cessation of all in-person instruction at K-12 schools, public and private, for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
• Closure of all dining and congregation areas in restaurants, dining establishments, food courts, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, tasting rooms, and farmers markets.
• Closure of all public access to recreational and entertainment businesses. Theaters, performing arts centers, concert venues, museums, and other indoor entertainment centers;
• Fitness centers, gymnasiums, recreation centers, indoor sports facilities, indoor exercise facilities;
• Beauty salons, barber shops, spas, massage parlors, tanning salons, tattoo shops, and any other location where personal care or personal grooming services are performed that would not allow compliance with social distancing guidelines to remain six feet apart;
• Racetracks and historic horse racing facilities;
• Bowling alleys, skating rinks, arcades, amusement parks, trampoline parks, fairs, arts and craft facilities, aquariums, zoos, escape rooms, indoor shooting ranges, public and private social clubs, and all other places of indoor public amusement.

Businesses in violation of this order may be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Although business operations offering professional rather than retail services may remain open, they should utilize teleworking as much as possible.Essential retail businesses may remain open during their normal business hours. Such businesses are:

• Grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retailers that sell food and beverage products or pharmacy products, including dollar stores, and department stores with grocery or pharmacy operations;
• Medical, laboratory, and vision supply retailers;
• Electronic retailers that sell or service cell phones, computers, tablets, and other communications technology;
• Automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers as well as automotive repair facilities;
• Home improvement, hardware, building material, and building supply retailers;
• Lawn and garden equipment retailers; 
• Beer, wine, and liquor stores;
• Retail functions of gas stations and convenience stores;
• Retail located within healthcare facilities;
• Banks and other financial institutions with retail functions;
• Pet and feed stores;
• Printing and office supply stores; and
• Laundromats and dry cleaners.