71st SWCS International Annual Conference July 24-27, 2016 Louisville, KY

1. Empowering Virginia’s Well and
Spring users:
the Virginia Household Water
Quality Program
Erin Ling and Brian Benham
Virginia Tech Biological Systems Engineering
Virginia Cooperative Extension
1

2. Private Water Supplies in Virginia
• About 1.6 million people, or 22% of Virginians, rely on wells,
springs or cisterns for their water supply (USGS, 2010)
• Decrease in waterborne disease outbreaks overall since the
1980’s, relative increase in outbreaks associated with private
water supplies (Craun, et al., 2010)
• 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
Drilled well
Bored well
Roadside
Spring
Spring box
Craun, G. F., et al. 2010. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 23(3): 507–528.

3. What is the VAHWQP?
• Established in 1989
• County-based drinking water clinics (55-60 per year)
• Coordinated with trained local extension agents
• Confidential and affordable
• Homeowners collect samples; samples analyzed at VT labs
• Interpretation meeting: test results, interpretation and basic
information about maintenance and addressing problems
• 20,500 samples analyzed in 93/95 counties

4. Drinking water clinics
• Testing for :
• Total coliform (MPN)
• E. Coli (MPN)
• Nitrate
• Fluoride
• Sodium
• Manganese
• Copper
• pH
• Total dissolved solids
• Sulfate
• Hardness
• Arsenic
• Lead
2016: $52 per
sample kit

5. Virginia Well Owner Network (VWON)
• Adapted from PA MWON in 2007; mechanism for training
extension agents (to conduct drinking water clinics), volunteers
and agency collaborators (VDH and DEQ)
• One-day training workshops held across VA; vary regionally
• Guest speakers: drilling companies and state agencies
• Topics:
• Groundwater hydrology
• Proper well location, construction and maintenance
• Land use impacts /wellhead protection
• Water testing and interpretation
• Solving water problems/treatment
• 80 extension agents; 70 volunteers; 31 agency collaborators

6. Initiated
with Ext.
Specialis
tBlake
Ross
1989 2003
Dormant
due to
retirement
Agents
request
return of
program in
needs
assessment
2007
USDA-
CSREES
grant
(Benham):
Create
VWON, hire
coordinator
2011
USDA-RHSE
grant
(Krometis):
Add metals,
subsidize
testing,
quantify
bacteria,
kick off
research
efforts
2013 - present
Program
self-
sustaining;
programs in
60 counties
annually,
continue
research
Program Timeline

7. Sources of potential contaminants or
issues of concern
7
pH/corrosivity hardness
nitrate
fluoride
TDS
iron
manganese
sulfate
chloride
sodium
Surface water contamination: nitrate, bacteria
Source may be plumbing
materials or existing water
treatment device:
sodium
copper
lead
bacteria
Some are found in groundwater naturally,
or due to human activities on or below
ground:
well
Where a contaminant
comes from affects how
we can deal with it!
arsenic

8. System Characteristics
(2008-2015; n=6866)
Type of
private
system
Type of
treatment
device
Wells are
an average
of 25
years old.
80% of
participants
have never
tested or tested
only once.
The most common
treatment devices are
for aesthetic
contaminants.

9. What’s in the water*?
(2008-2015; n=6866)
*% exceeding EPA standards or recommendations according to SDWA (municipal regulations)

10. Key Partnerships
• Virginia Water Well Association
• Wellcheck initiative
• Guest speakers, resources, technical assistance
• Federal and state agencies – USGS, Dept of Health, Dept
of Environmental Quality
• Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project
• Research collaboration with faculty and grad students
• Bacteria source tracking
• Metals (lead) profiling
• Student involvement in outreach
• Arsenic risk model
• Emerging contaminants
10

11. Youth VAHWQP
• Piloted with high school groups 2015-16
• Donation from Southeast Rural Community Assistance
Project (SERCAP) to cover cost of analysis
• Parental consent to test well water
• Students visit VT campus for tours, presentations, hands-
on lab work
• Return results to parents; students deliver results
interpretation presentation (parents pass post-test!)
• Also work with 4H and VT summer camps

12. INFORMED HOMEOWNERS NEED HELP!
12
I need help shock
chlorinating my system! I need a new well cap! I need my well repaired!
I need help
figuring out my
options for water
treatment!

13. WELLCHECKWELLCHECK NETWORKNETWORK
Partnership between VAHWQP and VWWA (well drillers’ group)
Goal: Connect homeowners who want to learn more with licensed
well drillers who provide standard, easy to understand inspections.
•25 drilling contractors participating
•50 counties covered
•Any licensed driller can sign up

14. Is it working?
Drinking water clinics: Intent to Act vs. Action
14N= 500; RR=30% N= 1696; RR=34%
• 70% took some action; 64% took more than one action
• Action exceeded intent to act.
• No significant differences in action between folks with
different water quality issues (e.g., low pH vs. bacteria)

15. Virginia Household Water
Quality Program
Erin Ling (wellwater@vt.edu)
Brian Benham (benham@vt.edu)
Virginia Tech
Biological Systems Engineering
Virginia Cooperative Extension
www.wellwater.bse.vt.edu
email: wellwater@vt.edu
ph: 540-231-9058