Drinking water clinics are being offered by the Virginia Household Water Quality Program in Giles, Floyd and Montgomery counties this week and next week.
The drinking water clinics include testing water for 28 chemical and bacteriological constituents such as E. coli, arsenic, lead and iron.
In Virginia, testing and maintenance of private wells and springs is completely the responsibility of the owner.
“You don’t know what’s in your well water until you test it, and you don’t know what you might need to do to adjust it to keep your family safe until you test it,” said Agricultural and Natural Resources Virginia Cooperative Education agent Meredith Hoggatt in a phone interview Feb. 24.
“Some people who have never tested their well water have been surprised by some of the results,” Hoggatt said.
How to register and how it works
Here’s how the drinking water clinics work: First, participants register online or over the phone. Second, participants pick up water sample kits at a specific location at a specific time. Third, participants use the sample kits to collect a sample of their water, then drop off the sample at a specific location at a specific time. Samples are analyzed at Virginia Tech.
Finally, approximately five weeks after sample drop-off, participants receive confidential results, an explanation of what the results mean and information about addressing any problems. The results are sent via email.
According to Hoggatt, counties may also offer a live, group Zoom meeting or prerecorded presentations to help consumers understand the results.
Registration deadline is 5 p.m. Monday
The registration deadline for all three clinics is 5 p.m. Monday. Hoggatt recommended that interested parties register as soon as possible because there are a limited number of kits and water testing is time-sensitive.
Each county has a different schedule and location for sample kit pick-up. Sample drop-off is Wednesday for all three counties. County-specific registration, pick-up/drop-off and personnel contacts are available online:
In all three counties, cost for participation is $70 per sample kit. Comparable analysis at a private commercial lab would cost more than $300, according to the Virginia Household Water Quality Program.
A limited number of subsidies are available through the Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project. For information about subsidies, email wellwater@vt.edu or call 540-231-9058.
The Virginia Household Water Quality Program offers drinking water clinics in about 70 Virginia counties each year. The full schedule is available here.