| Northern Virginia is growing in
| |
| | and organic waste as tap water but is not
|
| population rapidly and as more people
| |
| | subject to any regulation whatsoever.
|
| move into the area, a question that is
| |
| | In addition to emitting foul sulphur
|
| asked more and more frequently is - what
| |
| | odors and sediment from the water
|
| is the quality of my drinking water?
| |
| | Northern Virginia well water contains
|
| Individuals and families are naturally
| |
| | significant amounts of iron in the rock
|
| concerned with their health and drinking
| |
| | in some areas, particularly the Piedmont
|
| water is an important element of
| |
| | and Blue Ridge, resulting in iron
|
| maintaining good health.
| |
| | "staining." Sulfide in ground water is
|
| Unfortunately, the quality of the water
| |
| | also found in parts of the Valley and
|
| in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.
| |
| | Ridge where coal or natural gas is
|
| is very poor and is getting worse.
| |
| | present produces an obnoxious odor.
|
| Contaminants, bacteria, minerals and
| |
| | Ground water that is a source of well
|
| chemicals in tap water are masked with
| |
| | water also can be contaminated by human
|
| heavy doses of chlorine and tap water, in
| |
| | activities. Bacteria from septic systems,
|
| addition to being unhealthy, tastes and
| |
| | and nitrate from both septic systems and
|
| smells terrible.
| |
| | fertilizer applications, are among the
|
| Regulation from the Environmental
| |
| | most common contaminants. Since well
|
| Protection Agency (EPA) does not
| |
| | water is not subject to regulation, the
|
| eliminate contamination but merely sets
| |
| | potability and suitability for drinking,
|
| maximum levels of contaminants that can
| |
| | of a private well is the responsibility
|
| enter the human body. and cause long term
| |
| | of the homeowner and many private wells
|
| damage.
| |
| | are contaminated.
|
| What is the Story With Tap Water?
| |
| | Treating Drinking Water From Wells
|
| Tap water is municipal water that is
| |
| | The Sate of Virginia strongly recommends
|
| usually pumped from a nearby river and
| |
| | treatment of well water with chlorine to
|
| then processed to meet EPA guidelines.
| |
| | kill bacteria in well water and, in an
|
| The processing is usually done through a
| |
| | effort to overcome the obnoxious smell
|
| waster treatment plant with heavy amounts
| |
| | and taste of chlorine, de chlorination.
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| of chlorine added to kill remaining
| |
| | Again, this process is not controlled by
|
| bacteria that processing does not catch.
| |
| | any state or Federal agency.
|
| It is important to note that EPA
| |
| | Two general kinds of water treatment are
|
| guidelines are just that - they establish
| |
| | disinfecting and conditioning. To ensure
|
| minimum amounts of allowed contamination
| |
| | that the supply is free of harmful
|
| that may eventually be harmful to both
| |
| | bacteria, water is disinfected.
|
| adults and children.
| |
| | Objectionable tastes, odors, and matter
|
| In Northern Virginia and Washington D.C.
| |
| | are removed by conditioning.
|
| the drinking water is pumped mainly out
| |
| | Well Water Disinfection Methods
|
| of the Potomac River and at least one
| |
| | Drinking water is most commonly tested
|
| waste treatment plant.
| |
| | for coliform bacteria, which live in the
|
| Contaminants that may be present in this
| |
| | intestines of warm-blooded animals.
|
| source water include:
| |
| | Coliform bacteria in a well are usually
|
| Microbial contaminants, such as viruses
| |
| | the result of a faulty septic system or
|
| and bacteria, which may come from sewage
| |
| | contaminated surface water entering the
|
| treatment plants, septic systems,
| |
| | well or water delivery system.
|
| agricultural livestock operations, and
| |
| | Materials and tools used in well
|
| wildlife.
| |
| | construction are frequently contaminated
|
| Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and
| |
| | withbacteria that live in the soil and
|
| metals, which can be naturally-occurring
| |
| | these can be introduced into the water
|
| or result from urban storm water runoff,
| |
| | system while constructing the well,
|
| industrial or domestic waste water
| |
| | installing components of the piping
|
| discharges, oil and gas production,
| |
| | system, or servicing any part of the
|
| mining, or farming.
| |
| | water supply system. The State of
|
| Contaminants also include pesticides and
| |
| | Virginia strongly recommends that the
|
| herbicides, which may come from a variety
| |
| | water system be disinfected following
|
| of sources such as agriculture, urban
| |
| | construction and after all repairs.
|
| storm water runoff, and residential uses.
| |
| | Chlorination is used to disinfect private
|
| In addition contaminants may include
| |
| | supplies because it destroys bacteria
|
| organic chemical contaminants, including
| |
| | within a reasonable contact time and
|
| synthetic and volatile organic chemicals,
| |
| | provides residual protection.
|
| which are by-products of industrial
| |
| | However,ordinary levels of chlorination
|
| processes and petroleum production, and
| |
| | are not always effective in destroying
|
| can also come from gas stations, urban
| |
| | Giardia cysts, which cause a severe
|
| storm water runoff and septic systems.
| |
| | gastrointestinal illness. Super-high
|
| Radioactive contaminants, which can be
| |
| | levels of chlorination,boiling and
|
| naturally occurring or be the result of
| |
| | filtering are the only effective methods
|
| oil and gas production and mining
| |
| | to destroy or remove these cysts.
|
| activities also affect local tap water.
| |
| | High chlorine concentrations can have
|
| What is the source of water in Washington
| |
| | objectionable tastes and odors, and even
|
| D.C.?
| |
| | low chlorine concentrations react with
|
| The water in the Potomac River, Anacostia
| |
| | some organic compounds to produce strong,
|
| River, and Rock Creek flows into the
| |
| | unpleasant tastes and odors.
|
| District from outside jurisdictions. For
| |
| | To eliminate these offensive tastes and
|
| example, the Potomac River begins in West
| |
| | to remove excessive amounts of chlorine,
|
| Virginia, while the Anacostia River
| |
| | the water is then dechlorinated.
|
| begins in Maryland. The quality of water
| |
| | Activated carbon filters are the most
|
| in the District is thus affected by
| |
| | common devices used to dechlorinate
|
| activities throughout the watershed.
| |
| | water, remove objectionable chlorine
|
| Storm water runoff from commercial,
| |
| | tastes, and reduce corrosion of plumbing
|
| industrial, residential and agricultural
| |
| | systems.
|
| sites, point source pollutants from
| |
| | In addition to removing taste and odor
|
| wastewater treatment plants and
| |
| | problems, reports have shown that
|
| industrial discharges, and combined sewer
| |
| | granular activated carbon absorption is
|
| overflows from as far away as West
| |
| | the best method currently available to
|
| Virginia and Pennsylvania all contribute
| |
| | remove specific organic chemicals
|
| to the quality of water in the District
| |
| | (including some pesticide residues), and
|
| and Northern Virginia.
| |
| | as a method for radon removal.
|
| What About Combined Sewer Overflows
| |
| | How Safe is Tap and Well Water for
|
| (CSO's)
| |
| | Drinking?
|
| CSO's frequently occur when natural
| |
| | Municipalities, well owners and even the
|
| events like flooding overcome the
| |
| | EPA claim that tap and well water in
|
| capacity of waste treatment plants and
| |
| | Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. is
|
| raw sewage is pumped back into the water
| |
| | perfectly safe for drinking but one must
|
| source like the Potomac River.
| |
| | wonder. Consider the source of tap water
|
| During periods of significant rainfall,
| |
| | in light of sewage treatment, heavy
|
| the capacity of a combined sewer may be
| |
| | chlorine additive and waste discharge in
|
| exceeded. When this occurs, regulators
| |
| | the Potomac River and one starts to
|
| are designed to let the excess flow,
| |
| | wonder. Also consider that well water is
|
| which is a mixture of storm water and
| |
| | subject to most of the contaminants of
|
| sanitary wastes, to be discharged
| |
| | tap water but is unregulated as well.
|
| directly to the Anacostia River, Rock
| |
| | Is Drinking Bottled Water an Alternative
|
| Creek, the Potomac River, or tributary
| |
| | to Tap or Well?
|
| waters. This excess flow is called
| |
| | The popularity of bottled water has grown
|
| Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). Release of
| |
| | tremendously as Americans seek healthy
|
| this excess flow is necessary to prevent
| |
| | lifestyles and better tasting water. But
|
| flooding in homes, basements, businesses,
| |
| | not all bottled water is healthier than
|
| and streets but it adds bacteria and
| |
| | the tap or well alternative.
|
| contaminants as potential threats to tap
| |
| | Up to 25% of all bottled water on the
|
| water.
| |
| | market is tap water repacked in plastic
|
| Since a portion of the tap water comes
| |
| | bottles and bottled water that is not
|
| from sewerage treatment plants CSO's can
| |
| | purified often contains minerals and
|
| adversely affect the quality of our
| |
| | other contaminants that may be harmful to
|
| receiving waters in a number of ways:
| |
| | your health. These contaminants are not
|
| CSO's contain material which contributes
| |
| | only unhealthy and affect the taste of
|
| to high bacteria levels in the receiving
| |
| | the water but limit storage life for
|
| waters. Organic material in CSO's can
| |
| | emergency supplies of drinking water.
|
| contribute to low dissolved oxygen
| |
| | Purified water however, using a
|
| levels, which can contribute to a
| |
| | distillation and oxygenation process,
|
| potential for fish stress or fish kills,
| |
| | provides the water drinker the safest and
|
| especially in summer months; and, debris
| |
| | best tasting alternative to contaminated
|
| in CSO's such as plastic bottles,
| |
| | tap and well water in Northern Virginia
|
| Styrofoam cups (otherwise known as
| |
| | and Washington D.C. Distillation removes
|
| "floatables") contribute to poor
| |
| | the water from the contaminants in a
|
| aesthetics.
| |
| | process that insures purity and
|
| How Safe For Drinking is Well Water?
| |
| | oxygenation adds a light refreshing taste
|
| Well water, a popular alternative to tap
| |
| | to the remaining purified water.
|
| water particularly in Northern Virginia
| |
| | Consider the long term health of you and
|
| is subject to the same ground water
| |
| | your family and build a healthy lifestyle
|
| contaminants, chemical discharge waste
| |
| | on pure drinking water.
|
