• Wooden lids rot and drop rotten splinters into your water.  Metal lids tend to rust and leach into your water.
• Install a pump and faucet so that you don't have to open up the well to get water out.  When you lower a bucket into the water you may also be sending germs down.
• Patch up cracks and holes in the curbs with cement.  Where possible, also seal the seams between well curbs.
• Check where plumbing enters the well curbs to be sure that it has been cemented around the pipes so that no holes are left for mud and bugs to get into your water.
• Look for holes in the ground beside your well or sloping ground that will draw rain water into your well.
• Check to see if your well is grouted.  A cement wall about four inches thick should be in the ground around your well curbs.   If not, dig down about 6 feet with a post hole digger all the way around your well and fill this hole with cement.  When you pour the cement, slope the top of it so that water runs away from the well.
• After working on your well and at least once a year, pour bleach in it and let it stand over night to disinfect your well.  (It takes 2 gallons of bleach for a well 36 inches in diameter that has 15 feet of water in it.)  Run some of the water through all of your faucets until you smell bleach coming through (to disinfect your waterlines.)  After a day or two, run the water off until you no longer smell bleach.
• The Health Department will supply lab bottles and directions so that you can test your water to see if it is safe to drink.
• If you want to abandon a well, call the Health Department for directions so that what you put down your well will not go into the underground stream which feeds your neighbor's well.

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Testing a well

Basic Tests
Your local Health Department will give you a kit to sample your water with an express mailing envelope which you will need to take to the post office. This will provide a screening test for bacteria.

Bacteria Tests
The Health Department only requires total coliform bacteria and fecal coliform tests to determine whether water is potable---or safe to drink. If fecal coliform bacteria is present it may indicate that the source of contamination is human or animal feces.

Lead Tests
Lead testing may be desirable if the home has old plumbing that may contain lead soldering. Lead content can be lowered by running the water off the first time a faucet is used for the day. Let it run until it is as cold as it can get.

Sodium Tests
Sodium testing may be desirable if you live an area where artesian wells are high in sodium and there are family members whose health requires limiting salt.

Nitrates
If you live in an area where there is heavy use of pesticides or farm chemicals, you may want to test for nitrates. This is particularly important if there are infants in the household and adults who are elderly or have low stomach acid levels as their bodies do not have sufficient nitrate-reducing bacteria. Nitrates interfere with the oxygen supply in the body and can cause blue baby syndrome and death.

Purification Methods

Distillers
You can purchase a countertop version for under $400 and purify your drinking and cooking water. This addresses bacteria problems but it does not remove many organic chemicals.

Chlorine
While it may be the most economical method of disinfecting a public water supply, chlorine also has proven health risks which include heart disease and cancer. You would do well to install chlorine-reducing equipment in your home. Be sure to include treatment of shower and bath facilities, as hot baths greatly increase the absorption of chlorine and chlorine by-products into your body.

Bottled Water
Bottled water may be a necessary alternative. But Environmental Protection Administration surveys have shown numerous sanitation problems in the industry. When water is bottled using reverse-osmosis, distillation or deionization methods it becomes easy breeding grounds for bacteria which multiply rapidly, especially if stored for a lenghty time or placed in sunlight. Be sure to select glass containers or clear plastic as water will cause chemicals to leach from the opaque plastic containers.

Ozone
Ozone is an excellent treatment method widely used in Europe as an alternative to chlorine.

Home Water Treatment Systems
Look carefully at what they actually claim to do. Many expensive systems are available that soften water and change taste and odor, but do not treat bacteria or chemicals.

The Health Department will be glad to help you.

A very worthwhile and readable book which will help you know what questions to ask is Don’t Drink the Water (Without Reading This Book), by Lono Kahuna Kupua A’o, from Hawaii.

The Don’t Drink the Water book recommends buying a system in the range of $300-$400 using a combination of KDF redox media and granular-activated carbon in one cartridge and a .5 micron absolute carbon block media in another, to provide high-quality drinking water. If you live in an area with very hard water, then you may want to use a water-softening system that should cost less than $2,500.

Technical Assistance
For technical assistance with water quality problems and treatment options we suggest your local health department and cooperative extension service and the following links:

www.agwt.org American Groundwater Trust--an independent organization recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency.

www.vwrrc.vt.edu The Virginia Water Resources Center at Virginia Tech. Click on Homeowner advisor.

www.estd.wvu.edu/ndwc/NDWC The National Drinking Water Clearinghouse.

www.ext.vt.edu The Cooperative Extension Service has a series of pamphlets on line. Click on Information resources/housing or health or Natural Resources/water quality.

EPA Drinking Water Hotline 800 426-4791.

If you have trouble drinking your 6-8 glasses of water a day, www.watercure.com by a London physician will at stimulate your thinking on the importance of water to your health.

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Points to Consider when Buying Land

1. Ask whether the land percs: That means the soil is good enough for a septic system. If the land doesn't perc, the Health Department will not allow you to have indoor plumbing, and the County will not allow a mobile home on it.
   
   How much does it really cost?
   
2. Ask for the Health Department septic and well permits before you buy the property.
3. Ask what kind of well the Health Department requires. If the permit says IIIC, it is a shallow well that costs about $5,000. If the permit says IIIA, you will have to put in an artesian well that can cost $8,000 to $9,000.
4. Ask what kind of septic system the property must have.
5. Ask a septic company how much the septic system will cost. A simple gravity-flow septic system can cost about $3,500. A pump system can cost about $6,000. An imported Irish Puraflo can cost $14,000 to $20,000.
   
   Can you afford to move on to the property you selected?
   
6. Ask for a mortgage and Deed of Trust. These give you ownership of the property while you are paying for it. Some agents will give you only a sales agreement that says you will get the deed after you finish paying it all. Most government programs that would help you financially require an ownership document.
7. Ask the courthouse how much the land is really worth, and how much the taxes will be.

Basics for new rural residents

New to our rural area? Here are some basics for urbanites who have recently moved to Northern Neck Country.

Only about 1/3 of our homes have access to public water and sewer. If your home is on a private well and septic system, here are some ABC's:

Wells (either artesian or water-table)

Artesian Wells. How to spot them: Artesian well are usually visible as pipes about 4 inches in diameter sticking out of the ground. They may have a tag from the well company. They run 400-900 feet deep.

Don't use them to water your azaleas! Artesian wells here tend to have 150-200 mg/l of sodium. EPA guidelines are 20 mg/l for persons with blood pressure problems. If you need a treatment device to lower the sodium, get advice from the county office of Virginia Cooperative Extension Service or the Health Department. Also see our Water Tests page.

Water-table Wells. How to spot them: They have a big round cement curb from 24 to 48 inches in diameter sticking above ground and a cover. Important: See our Well Safety page. This water can be excellent if the well is properly protected. Water-table wells are often called "shallow" wells locally. They are by nature easily contaminated. We suggest installing a treatment system designed for bacteria at least for drinking water.

This kind of well may have passed a test by the realtor but can become contaminated after rain events. Do a follow-up bacteria test about 3 months after purchasing the home.

Water Tests for artesian and water-table wells. Public water systems are required to test regularly for many contaminants. With a private well, it is up to the owner. You should receive a well report from the real estate agent when you purchase a home. This report covers only bacteria. You may want to consider lead and sodium tests, too.

You should plan to test your well again about 2 to 3 months after purchase and at least once a year, and anytime you notice a change in the taste or appearance of your water. The county Health Department can advise you and give you a lab kit to sample your water. They will also explain any tests a salesman offers you.

If your neighborhood is on a community well, the Health Department will have a record of tests taken on it.

Wastewater

When purchasing land, you should check first for a Health Department Septic permit, which insures that the land is suitable for a wastewater system.

Second, you will want to take the permit to a septic company for an estimate. Prices can vary between $3,500 and $20,000, depending on what the Health Department requires.

If your property already has a private septic system, you need to know what you can and cannot put in it. The Health Department and Virginia Cooperative Extension Services will be glad to supply you with information on how to take care of your septic system. Also, check our Septic Systems page.

What is a Septic system? All the wastewater from the sinks, tubs and commodes should drain into a septic tank. The septic tank is usually rectangular, about 4 x 6 feet and buried in the ground. Wastewater flows from this tank into the distribution box which channels it into several drainlines.

Where is your septic system? If your system is not too old, the Health Department will have a diagram locating your system.

Welcome to the Northern Neck!

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How to take care of a septic system

1. Solids will fill up your septic tank. DO NOT put any of the following down the sink or toilet:
   
   coffee grounds
   dental floss
   disposable diapers
   cat-box litter
   cigarette butts
   sanitary napkins, tampons
   plastics
   facial tissues
   paper towels
   bulky wastes
   grease, oils, liquid fats
   
   DO NOT install a garbage disposal without checking whether your septic tank is big enough for it.
   
2. Chemicals can interfere with the functioning of your septic tank. DO NOT pour toxic or hazardous chemicals like these down your drains:
   
   paints
   varnishes
   thinners
   poisons
   pesticides
   herbicides
   waste oils
   photographic solutions
   
   And use the following moderately:
   
   household cleansers
   disinfectants
   bleaches
   
3. DO NOT drive heavy equipment over the drain field or distribution box of your septic system.
4. Pump out your septic tank every 3 to 5 years. Otherwise, you may need very expensive repairs to the drain field.
5. DANGER: Don't look into the septic tank or use flames near the opening. Call an expert. Toxic gases can kill in minutes.
6. DO NOT use too much water. You can flood the drain field by using too much water. Distribute clothes washing through the week. Keep showers short, etc.
7. DO NOT plant trees near the drain field or put a patio, garage, building, driveway, parking lot or paved area over the tank or drain field.

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International Cooperation

Kenya

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Eunice who lived way up in the mountains of Kenya near the border with Tanzania.

Everyday she would walk three miles in her bare feet down to the muddy river and carry a bowl of water home for her family. Like all the other girls she had to shave her head because they did not have enough water to keep their hair clean.

When she grew up she married a schoolteacher. But very soon God called both of them to be in ministry to take the Good News to their people and help those who were sick and hungry.

She remembered how many children did not get to go to school because it was so far to the village that had a school and the road was very rough and dangerous.

So they started a school in their own village of Musango. Now 580 children are going to school in their blue and white uniforms and bare feet.

One of Eunice's sons grew up and became a doctor. But there was no doctor for their own village. So he comes twice a month. Eunice and her husband and their church started a clinic and have two nurses all the time. They have a very special job because many times children come who are sick because they do not have enough to eat.

Eunice became a lady with great courage. She went into Uganda and started two churches. Then she began to pastor a church near her home. Many people thought women could not and should not do that, but she went on because God was leading her. Her husband, William Okumu Masini, became a bishop because they started over 200 churches.

But the school and clinic do not have electricity and they were still carrying dirty water from the river. Then friends in the United States helped them raise the money to dig a well in front of the clinic and start on one for the school. They dug the hole by hand and hired a well company to put in the curbs and a hand pump.

And now the children have a most exciting Christmas present - their first well and clean water.

Because this is a true story, the SAIF Water Committee has been blessed and inspired to see our world and our Christmas in a new light. We share it with you along with our wishes for God's grace and peace to be with you always.

Kosovar Visitor

By Mariah Pollard, March 10, 2002

Recently, on a bitterly cold morning, Bardha Korca watched a group of men dig out a silted-in well near Irvington. One worker, forty feet down in the dry well, attempted to free the stream flow by scooping out the accreted dirt while others hovered above hauling up buckets of dirt. For these workers, contracted by SAIF water on a regular basis, this was just another opportunity to help someone get clean running water. For Korca, a Kosovar Albanian, this was a learning experience.

Bardha witnesses the grouting process which protects wells from surface contaminants--a wall of cement about 4 inches thick which goes about 6 feet into the ground surrounding the well.

As a participant in the Hope Fellowship program, "designed to enhance the competence and confidence of women leaders at this critical time in Kosovo," Korca and a group of professional Kosovar women were in Washington, D.C., for two months, learning how to identify and implement development project possibilities for their native country. Korca, a chemistry professor at the University of Pristina and an avowed environmentalist, chose water quality as her project.

To learn more about water projects and a hands-on, can-do approach, Korca, traveled to the Northern Neck to meet with Rev. Gayl Fowler and members of the SAIF Water Committee to see many of the successful projects implemented by SAIF Water.

"When I came here [to the US] I didn't know anything about projects. Or what the issue is. The goals, the objectives, the results, how you can measure, " said Korca, who's interested in the issues of both potable water and wastewater management. "Now I have some picture of [my] project, some vision, but it's still not very clear. I'm sure in the next weeks it will become clearer."

Water impurity is a concern in Kosovo since the war. And yet, even though wells may be contaminated by dead bodies and so on, there are even bigger concerns, such as the need for food and shelter, that have eclipsed the water problems. "From the war some wells are contaminated. Some villages are already poor; there are other problems," Korca said. "There are bigger problems they don't pay attention to the water quality. They don't have knowledge of the contaminants."

While accompanying Rev. Fowler throughout Northumberland and Lancaster counties, Korca learned about a variety of projects SAIF water is involved in: grouting wells; disinfecting wells for snakes among other contaminants; installing filtration systems; taking sample water tests; reading and assessing lab results and more.

Korca was able to see many of these processes first hand as Rev. John Bibbens, water well technician for SAIF Water, led the group on an investigation of a problem site near Burgess and demonstrated some of the techniques used by the Committee to protect wells from contamination. Frank Fletcher, a groundwater consultant who volunters with SAIF Water, discussed the hydrology of Kosova and will continue to assist Dr. Korca in her project. Rosalee Coultripp, Environmental Health Specialist for the Northumberland Health Department, gave pointers for evaluating a site for environmental risk factors and joined a discussion with geologist Lynton Land of the task Korca will face in Kosovo.

Rosalee Coultripp (left) of the Northumberland Health Department explains environmental risk factors.

R. Wesley Edwards and members of the committee joined Bardha for lunches and explained Interfaith Service Council's structure as a model of community organization to tackle problems of persons in need. Korca and Rev. Fowler toured some of the committee's work in alternative wastewater treatment and then spent some long hours in accessing information on the web and drafting a project proposal which will be submitted to the United States Agency for International Development, which sponsors the Hope Fellowship Program in cooperation with the National Albanian American Council.

Reverend Fowler sees Korca's work as not only helping the health of the Kosovars but also the economy. She envisions a small business for someone who can own a hydradrill that she could throw in the back of a pick up truck and drill pipe wells 100 feet or deeper.

In the next few weeks Korca will have to decide on her project and make a presentation about her plan to take back to Kosova and implement. Whatever the plan, she will stay in contact with Rev. Fowler and the SAIF Water group. She has seen that their well is full of knowledge.

Bardha Korca (left) and Rev. Gayl Fowler

SAIF has been helping low income families obtain indoor plumbing and deal with water and wastewater problems since 1989.

For more information about SAIF Water Wells, Inc. and/or Bardha Korca's water quality project in Kosova, call 580-2079 or email saif (at) crosslink (dot) net The mailing address is P.O. Box 839, Burgess, VA 22432.

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