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Water, when the well's dry, we know the worth of water

   

by Linda Burcham

From the safety of the drinking water in our homes; to the cleanliness of our creeks, streams, and rivers; to the health of the Chesapeake Bay, water quality is important to Virginians. Virginia Cooperative Extension is working on several fronts to improve and protect the quality of Virginia’s water.

“We have a multi-pronged approach to water quality in Extension,” says Jim Riddell, associate director for agriculture and natural resources. “Water quality is a complex issue, and there is no one answer that will solve all the problems. Our programs have many different faces and target many different audiences in an effort to address this issue from multiple angles. We work with farmers on agricultural nutrient management, with homeowners on well-water quality and lawn- and landscape-nutrient management, and with communities on storm-water management, among others. All of our efforts are coordinated with other state agencies, community groups, and volunteers in order to be as effective as possible.”

What’s in Your Water?

Most of us don’t give a second thought to water quality when we turn on the tap in our homes. But Virginians who rely on private water sources such as wells, springs, or cisterns for their drinking water need to understand that the responsibility for the safety of that water rests with them.

The Virginia Household Water Quality Program – funded through a grant from the USDA’s Cooperative Research Education and Extension Service and housed in Virginia Tech’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering – is designed to help well owners take care of their water supplies.

“More than one million Virginia households rely on private water sources,” says Erin James, coordinator of the Water Quality Program. “We are here to help people understand how to maintain and care for their water systems so that they have a safe supply of drinking water.”

Program participants provide a water sample to their local Extension office, which then transfers it to Virginia Tech where it is analyzed in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering’s Water Quality Laboratory. Confidential lab reports are returned to the well owners, who then attend a meeting where trained Extension agents explain how to interpret the results and review options for addressing any problems the testing identified. The Water Quality Program began holding water quality clinics in 2008 and has 16 more clinics scheduled for the first half of 2009.

After the Storm

When it rains, water that isn’t absorbed into the ground will collect and “run off,” following the laws of gravity. That water finds its way into our streams, creeks, and rivers, and for most of Virginia, ultimately into the Chesapeake Bay. When the runoff is contaminated, it poses a problem for the health of our water resources. Extension has developed storm-water education programs to help address those problems, particularly in urban areas, where there is more pavement, and thus, more runoff.

According to David Sample, land and water resource engineering Extension specialist, Extension programs can address two parts of the problem: reducing the quantity of runoff and working to improve its quality. “Urban storm water runoff is a big concern. We are working to update the management strategies we use to deal with storm water, including environmental site design techniques such as forest conservation, soil restoration, and minimizing impervious surfaces. All of these areas have the potential to allow more water to be absorbed into the ground and create less runoff.”

Paige Thacker, agriculture and natural resources Extension agent in Prince William County, has implemented an education program to help homeowners and businesses learn practical ways to improve the quality of storm-water runoff.

“So many people do not understand that waste water that leaves their home through a sewer system goes into a treatment facility, but water that enters storm drains goes directly into streams, rivers, and eventually the Chesapeake Bay,” says Thacker.

Thacker’s program – delivered in collaboration with Prince William County’s Department of Public Works – teaches property owners the importance of removing debris like leaves, trash, and sediment from parking lots and paved areas that flow into storm drains. Participants also learn that storm drains are no place to dispose of things like pet waste and used motor oil.

Lawn Rangers

Chemicals used on lawns and landscapes can have a serious impact on water quality. For years, Extension has been educating the agricultural industry about environmental impacts of the chemicals used in farming, but individual homeowners who manage lawns and landscapes also play a key role in water quality.

Mike Goatley, Extension turf specialist, says, “Research shows that significant water quality improvements can be obtained by educating homeowners about the proper ways to use chemicals in their home landscape. We like to say we’re improving Virginia’s water quality by addressing the problem lawn-by-lawn.” Goatley notes that a key component of the education is informing people about the value of soil testing, so they know exactly what type of fertilizer and in what quantity they need to improve their lawns, rather than guessing, which often results in over-fertilizing and harmful chemical runoff.

Extension has a number of programs around the state that target homeowners and their lawn management. In James City County, Extension Water Quality Educator Bob Winters coordinates a group of 20 Master Gardeners that calls itself the Lawn Rangers. The group sends teams of Master Gardeners to visit about 250 homeowners per year to assess their turf and provide environmentally friendly recommendations.

According to Winters, many homeowners have long-standing habits for fertilizing their lawns that may not be very effective, and can also be unfriendly to the environment. “We ask the homeowners about their expectations for their lawn, measure the square feet of their lawn, take soil samples that are sent to Virginia Tech for analysis, and ultimately, write a nutrient management plan for them,” says Winters. “The biggest change we suggest to most people is to change the timing of when they fertilize.”