The Virginia Well Owner Network and Household Water Quality Program

Private Water Supplies in Virginia 2 About 1.7 million Virginians rely on wells, springs or cisterns for their household water (USGS, 2010) In the US, municipal water supplies are regulated by the EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act, which mandates routine testing and appropriate treatment. Homeowners relying on private water supplies:  Are responsible for all aspects of water system management  Often lack knowledge and resources to effectively manage  Usually don’t worry about maintenance until problems arise

Overview of private water supplies  Wells  Drilled or bored  Range from ’ feet deep  Locate at least ~100’ from sources of contamination  Casing, grouting, sanitary well cap protect well from surface water contamination Well cap Casing Grout Photo credit: A Guide to Private Water Systems in Pennsylvania: A manual for Rural Homeowners on the Proper Construction and Maintenance of Private Wells, Springs and Cisterns; Rorrer Well Drilling, Inc.

Overview of private water supplies Photo credit:  Springs  Formed when side of a hill, valley bottom, or other excavation intersects groundwater  Highly susceptible to contamination  Cisterns  Collection and storage of rainwater, often from rooftop

What is the VAHWQP? 5 Established in 1989 County-based Drinking Water Clinics  Coordinated with trained local extension educators or volunteers  Kickoff Meeting – distribute sample kits  Homeowners collect sample; samples analyzed at VT BSE lab  Interpretation Meeting: test results, interpretation and basic information about maintenance and addressing problems  16,000 samples analyzed in 89 counties

Drinking water clinics 6 Manganese Copper pH Total Dissolved Solids Sulfate Hardness Testing for : Total coliform E. coli Nitrate Fluoride Sodium Iron Arsenic Lead $49 per sample kit

VAHWQP Drinking Water Clinics YEAR of LAST CLINIC Planned No clinic held

Virginia Well Owner Network (VWON) 8 Includes extension agents, volunteers and agency collaborators (Va Dept of Health and Dept of Env Quality) One-day (7 hour) training workshops held across VA Guest speakers: drilling companies and state agencies Topics include: Groundwater hydrology Proper well location, construction and maintenance Land use impacts /wellhead protection Water testing and interpretation Solving water problems/treatment Education and outreach ideas Water conservation Photo: Penn State

VWON Volunteer Policy 9  Qualifications:  Attend VWON training and achieve 70% on post-test  Work to support Extension agents in conducting drinking water clinics  Communicate effectively and diplomatically  Not work or own a business affiliated with private water systems  Re-enroll annually  Guidelines:  Unpaid, volunteer work only  Provide general educational information  Do not give professional advice or make specific recommendations  Refer specific questions to qualified professional

VWON Responsibilities 10 VAMWON Agents ◦ Conduct county-based drinking water clinics ◦ Educate local private water system owners VAMWON Volunteers ◦ Assist VWON agents with drinking water clinics ◦ Outreach to church, service, and civic organizations ◦ Staff VWON booth at fairs, clinics, ag and home shows ◦ Contribute to VAHWQP newsletter and website ◦ Assist with evaluating program impacts

Trained VWON agent and volunteer Virginia Well Owner Network Outreach to improve the water quality and health of Virginia’s 1.7 million well and spring users. Trained VWON volunteer or agency collaborator Trained VWON agent Lee Scott Wise Buchanan Dickenson Bland Tazewell Washington Russell Carroll Pulaski Giles Smyth Wythe Grayson Alleghany Craig Roanoke Franklin Patrick Henry Montgomery Botetourt Halifax Bedford Pittsylvania Campbell Mecklenburg Charlotte Amherst Buckingham Prince Edward Lunenburg Nottoway Brunswick Albemarle Nelson Augusta Highland Bath Rockbridge Arlington Fairfax Loudoun Clarke Frederick Page Shenandoah Rockingham Culpeper Greene Madison Orange Rappah. Fauquier Warren Amelia Powhatan Cumberland Fluvanna Louisa Spotsylvania Stafford Prince William Westmoreland King George Caroline Hanover Goochland Henrico Chesterfield Prince George New Kent King William King and Queen Essex Richmond James City Surry Sussex Greensville Dinwiddie Lancaster North- umberland York Gloucester Mathews Middlesex South Hampton Isle of Wight Accomack Northampton Appomattox Chs City Floyd Rmd Suffolk (city) Norfolk Revised 5/2014 Virginia Beach Cheasapeake

VAHWQP Supporting Resources 12  Virginia Cooperative Extension water quality publications  Website:  Impact reporting  Evaluation reports  Brochures  Posters  Newsletter  Listserv

Key Partnerships  Virginia Water Well Association  WellCheck  Develop and market program to provide affordable, standardized well inspections to homeowners  Guest speakers, resources, technical assistance  USGS  Virginia Department of Health  Virginia Department of Env Quality  Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists  Research Faculty and Grad students  Bacteria source tracking  Metals profiling 13

Data highlights  Type of private water system  Wells average 25 years old (pre-1992 regulations)  > 80% of participants have never tested water or tested only once  Treatment devices  Most common: water softener and sediment filter  Drinking water clinic participants:  91% white (VA: 71%)  59% over 61 years old; 75% over 51 years old  68% college-educated or beyond  Relatively high income 14

Comparison to Safe Drinking Water Act Stds 73% exceeded at least one MCL/SMCL Slides prepared by Kelsey Pieper, PhD candidate, VT-BSE; Data from ; n = 1683 = Maximum Contaminant Level/health related std = Secondary Max. Cont. Level/nuisance std

Bacterial contamination 44% total coliform (TC) positive 11% E. coli (EC) positive Slides prepared by Kelsey Pieper, PhD candidate, VT-BSE; Data from ; n = 1683

Contamination from corrosion Corrosion may be a concern 18% with ≥ 15 ppb lead 11% with ≥ 1.3 ppm copper 24% with pH outside % below 6.5 Slides prepared by Kelsey Pieper, PhD candidate, VT-BSE; Data from ; n = 1683

Intent to Act vs. Action 18 N= 500; RR=30%N= 1696; RR=34% 70% took some action; 64% took more than one Action exceeded intent to act.

Phone Survey Data 19 Est. $310K - $454K invested

Impacts and Outputs Virginia Well Owner Network 80 VAMWON agents 89 volunteers 29 agency collaborators (VDH and DEQ) Coverage 75 counties and 5 cities Drinking water clinics since drinking water clinics 92 counties 6000 samples analyzed serving over people 20