Water Quality Resources
Resource Quicklinks
VAHWQP Drinking Water Clinic Summary Infographics
- New! 2023 VAHWQP Annual Report
- 2022 VAHWQP Annual Report
- 2021 VAHWQP Annual Report
- 2019 VAHWQP Annual Report
- 2018 VAHWQP Annual Report
- 2017 VAHWQP Annual Report
- 2016 VAHWQP Annual Report
- 2015 VAHWQP Annual Report
- Albemarle (PDF)
- Amelia (PDF)
- Amherst (PDF)
- Appomattox (PDF)
- Bedford (PDF)
- Botetourt (PDF)
- Buckingham (PDF)
- Campbell (PDF)
- Carroll (PDF)
- Charlotte (PDF)
- Clarke County (PDF)
- Craig (PDF)
- Culpeper (PDF)
- Dinwiddie (PDF)
- Eastern Shore (Accomac and Northampton) (PDF)
- Essex (PDF)
- Fauquier (PDF)
- Floyd (PDF)
- Fluvanna (PDF)
- Franklin (PDF)
- Frederick (PDF)
- Giles (PDF)
- Goochland (PDF)
- Grayson (PDF)
- Greene (PDF)
- Halifax (PDF)
- Hanover (PDF)
- Isle of Wight (PDF)
- King George (PDF)
- Lancaster (PDF)
- Loudoun (PDF)
- Louisa (PDF)
- Lunenburg (PDF)
- Madison (PDF)
- Mecklenburg (PDF)
- Montgomery (PDF)
- Nelson (PDF)
- Northumberland (PDF)
- Nottoway (PDF)
- Orange (PDF)
- Page County (PDF)
- Pittsylvania (PDF)
- Powhatan (PDF)
- Prince George (PDF)
- Prince William (PDF)
- Pulaski (PDF)
- Rappahannock (PDF)
- Roanoke (PDF)
- Russell (PDF)
- Shenandoah (PDF)
- Spotsylvania (PDF)
- Virginia Beach (PDF)
- Warren (PDF)
- Westmoreland (PDF)
- Wythe (PDF)
Popular Press and Journal Articles
- What to know when buying a home with a well and septic system video (made in collaboration with Virginia Department of Health)
- NEW! Virginia Household Water Quality Program featured on First Fridays with Hermon Maclin! Building Local Relationships and Attracting New Clients to VCE
- PFAS in Drinking Water - June 2022 Webinar
- FEATURED! Well Maintenance, Ground and Surface Water, and Well Drilling on Pulse of the Planet!
- Human and Agricultural Biosciences Building (home of BSE Water Quality Lab) featured on NPR!
- Peer-reviewed journal articles relating to VAHWQP:
- Allevi, et al., 2013. Quantitative analysis of microbial contamination in private drinking water supply systems. Journal of Water and Health 11.2 pp 244-255. doi: 10.2166/wh.2013.152.
- Benham, et al., 2016. What's in your water? Development and Evaluation of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program and Virginia Master Well Owner Network. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension. Volume 4, Number 1. pp 123-138.
- Fields, N. I., Shaffer, T. (2022). An Introduction to Environmental Justice and Extension Programs Engaging Vulnerable Communities. In N. I. Fields, & T. Shaffer (Eds.), Striving for Grassroots Engagement: Community Education, Social Justice, Cultural Competence, and the Role of Cooperative Extension. Michigan State University Press. 2022.
- Fasaee, M., Pesantez, J., Pieper, K., Ling, E., Benham, B., Edwards, M., and Berglund, E. Developing Early Warning Systems to Predict Water Lead Levels in Tap Water for Private Systems, Water Research.Vol 221. August 2022.
- Fasaee, M., Berglund, E., Pieper, K., Ling, E., Benham, B., and Edwards, M. Using Bayesian Belief Models and Machine Learning to Predict Water Lead Levels in Tap Water for Private Systems, Water Research. Vol 189. Feb 2021.
- Pieper, et al., 2015. Profiling Private Water Systems to Identify Patterns of Waterborne Lead Exposure. Environmental Science and Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b03174
Environ. Sci. Technol. 2015, 49, 1269712704. - Pieper, et al., 2015. Incidence of waterborne lead in private drinking water systems in Virginia. Journal of Water and Health 13.3. pp 897-908. doi: 10.2166/wh.2015.275.
- Pieper et al. 2016. Quantifying lead leaching potential from plumbing exposed to aggressive waters. Journal-American Water Works Association 108 (9), E458-468.
- Pieper et al. 2016. Simultaneous Influence of Geology and System Design on Drinking Water Quality in Private Systems. Journal of Environmental Health 79 (2), E1-E9.
- Scott, V.; Juran, L.; Ling, E.J.; Benham, B.; Spiller, A. Assessing Strontium and Vulnerability to Strontium in Private Drinking Water Systems in Virginia. Water 2020, 12, 1053.
- Smith, et al., 2014. Associations between fecal indicator bacteria prevalence and demographic data in private water supplies in Virginia. Journal of Water and Health 12.4 pp 824-834. doi: 10.2166/wh.2014.026.
- VanDerwerker, T., Zhang, L., Ling, E., Benham, B., and Schreiber, 2018. Evaluating Geologic Sources of Arsenic in Well Water in Virginia (USA). Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 787; doi:10.3390/ijerph15040787.
Water Testing Links
- Virginia Certified Private Water Quality Lab Listing (updated September 2023)
- Participating in a VAHWQP drinking water clinic? Sample collection video here!
Common Water Quality Issues
- NEW! What to know when buying a home with a well and septic system video (made in collaboration with Virginia Department of Health)
- Ten Tips for Managing Your Private Well Water Supply Brochure
- Recorded results interpretation meeting presentation
- Supplemental metals interpretation sheet
- Household Water Treatment
- Indicators of Lead in Household Water
- New! Fluoride in Drinking Water Infographic (HTML)
- Bacteria and Microorganisms in Household Water
- Hardness in Household Water
- Shock Chlorination: Disinfecting Private Household Water Supply Systems
- Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in Household Water
- Sulfate and Hydrogen Sulfide in Household Water
- Nitrate in Household Water
- Heavy Metals in Household Water
- Iron and Manganese in Household Water
- Fluoride in Household Water
- Sodium and Chloride in Household Water
- Corrosive Household Water
- Emergency Supplies of Water
- Helpful Shock Chlorination Video from Montana State University
- Managing Your Well During a Drought
- Sanitary Well Caps and Grouting
- Using a Low-yielding Well
- Radon in Household Water
- NEW! What happens if my septic system fails?
- NEW! Septic system best management practices
Water Conservation and Rainwater Harvesting
- Virginia Rainwater Harvesting and Use Guidelines (Va Dept of Health)
- Household Water Conservation
- Water Conservation: How much water and money can you save?
- Rainwater Harvesting Systems - General
- Greywater Reuse
- Using Reclaimed Water
Springs and Cistern Resources
- New! Water Quality of Roadside Springs in the Virginias
- Spring water disinfection protocol
- Rainwater Cisterns
- Spring Development and Protection
Financial Assistance
- Virginia Department of Health Septic Well Assistance Program - You may qualify to have your private well or septic system fixed for free! If you have a house with a well or septic system that needs to be fixed, and your income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, VDH can cover the cost!
- Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project in Virginia (SERCAP) - promotes the development of affordable water and wastewater facilities, activities and resources to improve the quality of life for low income rural residents
- USDA Rural Development Programs - housing, emergency, and community development grants
- Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Housing
Partners in Well Education
- Virginia Department of Health - Private Well Program
- Virginia Water Well Association
- Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Groundwater Characterization
- EPA Private Wells
- National Sanitation Foundation- list of certified water treatment devices
- Water Quality Association
- United States Geological Survey - Virginia