Tips for Managing Your Water Quality and Private Water System

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• Tips for Managing Your Water Quality and Private
  Water System

YOUR NAME HERE, Volunteer Virginia Master Well
Owner Network

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Todays Presentation

• Virginia Household Water Quality Program
• Virginia Master Well Owner Network
• How to care for your private water system
• Well location, protection, and construction
• Well maintenance and care
• Drinking water regulations How much is too
  much?
• Water testing Whats in your water?
• Dealing with water problems

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What is the VAHWQP?

• Established in 1989
• County-based Drinking Water Clinics
• Coordinated with local Extension Agents
• Kickoff Meeting
• Homeowners collect sample samples analyzed at VT
  lab
• Interpretation Meeting test results and advice
  for dealing with water problems provided
• The Virginia Master Well Owner Network

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Virginia Master Well Owner Network (VAMWON)

• Includes extension agents and volunteers

• Training workshops across VA
• Groundwater basics
• Proper well location, construction and
  maintenance
• Land use impacts
• Water testing
• Solving water problems
• Education and outreach ideas

• VAMWON volunteer outreach
• Fairs and home shows
• Speak to church or civic groups
• One-on-one conversations with neighbors and
  friends
• Write an article for local paper
• Help with drinking water clinic

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Proper well location

• Well should be at least
• 5 feet from property boundary
• 10 feet from building foundation
  (50 feet if termite treated)
• 50 feet from road
• 50 feet from sewers and septic tanks
• 100 feet from pastures, on-lot sewage system
  drainfields, cesspools or barnyards
• Upslope from potential contamination
• Not in an area that receives runoff

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Proper well construction

• Contract a licensed driller
• Valid Class A, B or C contractor license with WWP
  (Water Well and Pump)
  classification
• Well casing
• Minimum of 20 for bored, 50 100 deep
  for drilled, depending on class of
  well
• Extends 12 above ground
• Grouting to a minimum of 20
• Sanitary well cap or sealed concrete cover
• Ground slopes away from well

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Photo credits SAIF Water Wells Penn State
University
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Well Maintenance Tips

• Do not use fertilizers, pesticides, oil, or paint
  around well
• Keep area around well clean and accessible
• Keep careful records
• original contract, water test results and any
  maintenance or repair information
• Every year
• Conduct thorough visual inspection of well
• Check cap for cracks, wear and tear, tightness
• Every 10 years have well inspected by a qualified
  professional (with WWP classification)

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Private Water Supply Regulations

• Virginia Private Well Regs
• Specify application, inspection and construction
  requirements
• No requirements for maintenance or water testing
  after construction of well responsibility of
  the owner!
• EPA National Drinking Water
  Standards
• Apply to PUBLIC systems
• Primary (health) and Secondary (nuisance)
• Can be used as guidance for private systems to
  know how much is too much

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EPA Drinking Water Standards

• Primary Standards
• Also called Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)
• Cause health problems
• Enforced for public systems
• Over 80 contaminants
• For example
• Nitrate
• Lead
• Coliform
• Most organic chemicals and pesticides

• Secondary Standards
• Also called SMCL or RMCL
• Cause aesthetic problems
• Staining
• Taste
• Odor
• Can naturally occur in ground water
• About 15, including
• Iron
• Fluoride
• Chloride

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Testing water quality

• Why test?
• Protect familys health and safety
• Many contaminants undetectable by human senses
• Preventive measures often more effective and less
  expensive
• Legal protection
• When to test?
• Routine tests every 1-3 years
• Pregnant woman or infant in the home
• Recurring gastrointestinal illness
• Change in taste, appearance, odor of water
• Any services or repairs are done

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What should I test for?

• Every year test for coliform bacteria
• Simple, inexpensive test (lt40)
• Indicates possible contamination from human or
  animal waste
• Every three years test
• pH (secondary std 6.5 8.5)
• Total Dissolved Solids (TDS secondary std 500
  mg/L)
• Other contaminants based on local land uses
  nearby and condition of water

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How do I test my water?

• Participate in a VAHWQP drinking water clinic
• List of 2013 clinics http//www.wellwater.bse.vt.
  edu/events.php
• Choose a certified laboratory
• List available at www.wellwater.bse.vt.edu/resourc
  es.php
• Use containers provided and follow directions
• Sample bottles often contain fixers- do not rinse
  
• Be aware of time requirements to get samples to
  lab

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Understanding test results

• Most results provided as concentrations
• mg/L (milligrams per liter) ppm (parts per
  million)
• µg/L (micrograms per liter) ppb (parts per
  billion)
• Other units unique to test
• Bacteria
• Radon, hardness, pH
• Compare to EPA standards http//www.epa.gov/safew
  ater/contaminants/index.html

1 ppm about 4 drops in a 55 gallon barrel!
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Options for problem water

• 1. If possible, control the source of pollution
• Divert runoff from well, maintain septic system
• 2. Improve maintenance of water system
• Install sanitary well cap, slope the ground
• 3. Treat the water to reduce contaminant
  concentration
• Match the treatment option to the pollutant
• Consult a professional
• 4. Develop a new source of water
• Deeper well, develop spring, connect to
  public water

http//static.howstuffworks.com/gif/septic-tank-cl
eaning-1.jpg, http//www.shipewelldrilling.com/Pic
tures/well_drilling_rig.jpg, http//www.clearflow.
ca/REVERSE_OSMOSIS2.jpg
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Treatment Considerations

• Be sure to explore ALL of your options
• Always have water tested by a certified lab
• Be aware of dishonest businesses look for NSF
  (National Sanitation Foundation) and WQA (Water
  Quality Association) certifications, consult BBB
• If it sounds too good to be trueit probably is!
• Point of Use (POU) vs. Point of Entry (POE)
• Weigh benefits and limitations of device
• Cost
• Maintenance
• Warranty

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Interested in learning more?

• Come to a drinking water clinic
• Join the Virginia Master Well Owner Network!
• Learn more about your own water system and how to
  protect your water quality
• Help others by sharing this information
• Apply today at www.wellwater.bse.vt.edu
• At VAMWON training workshop
• Free water conservation devices for home and
  garden
• Resource binder
• Presentations and activities with water experts

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YOUR NAME HERE, Volunteer Virginia Master Well
Owner Network
Erin Ling, Coordinator Virginia Household Water
Quality Program Virginia Master Well Owner
Network Website www.wellwater.bse.vt.edu Email
wellwater_at_vt.edu Ph 540-231-9058
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Resources

• Virginia Cooperative Extension household water
  quality http//www.ext.vt.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/
  Docs.woa/wa/getcat?catir-nrem-wq-hwq
• Virginia Cooperative Extension Offices
  www.ext.vt.edu
• Virginia Department of Health/Private Well
  Regulations www.vdh.state.va.us
• EPA private wells site http//www.epa.gov/ogwdw/p
  rivatewells/whatyoucando.html
• National Groundwater Association Well Owner
  http//www.wellowner.org/
• National Sanitation Foundation www.nsf.org
• Water Quality Association www.wqa.org
• Consumer Reports or Better Business Bureau
  www.consumerreports.org OR www.bbb.org

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Spring Management Tips

• Make sure spring box is sealed to prevent
  insects, animals, and surface water from entering
• Fence livestock out of stream catchment area
• Disinfect springs after construction and test
  annually for bacteria

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Cistern Management Tips

• Make sure cistern is constructed properly to
  ensure it is the proper size to meet your water
  demands. A minimum of 5,000 gallons is
  recommended.
• All cisterns require treatment. Most rely on
  rainwater that can be extremely corrosive to
  plumbing systems
• Water should be disinfected before it is consumed

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The Finished Product Drilled Well
http//www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/environment/06
-117.htm
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The Finished Product Bored Well
http//www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/environment/06
-117.htm