Virginia's Groundwater:
You Can Help Protect It



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1989
A brief summary of some of the
major threats to Virginia's groundwater
and suggestions for protecting it.

i Threats to Virginia's
, a Virginia Water Resources
nter publication by Diana L.
id Carolyn J. Kroehler. Funded
)y the Environmental Protection
strated by George V. Wills.

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can endanger groundwater; in Virginia, the use of hazardous waste injection
wells currently is banned.
Individual efforts to protect groundwater from problems caused by waste
disposal are important. Recycling instead of discarding reduces the volume
of trash taken to landfills. If you don't know where to take recyclable
materials in your community, call the Virginia Division of Litter Control
recycling hotline: 800-KEEP-ITT. For information about used oil collection
sites in Virginia, call 800-552-3831. Appropriate disposal of other types of
home hazardous waste is another contribution individuals can make. Sent
to a municipal waste landfill or disposed of through a septic system,
household hazardous wastes can percolate through soil and into
groundwater. The Virginia Department of Waste Management can provide
information about appropriate disposal: 804-225-2667. Another way to help
protect groundwater is to avoid using illegal dumps and to help clean up
such dumps in your community. Roadside littering is illegal, and the Virginia
Department of Waste Management depends largely on citizen reports of
open dumps to identify these sites and begin the cleanup process.
If you own or work at a business that is a "small quantity" generator of
hazardous waste-dry cleaners, printers, auto repair shops, laboratories,
and many others-be sure that non-domestic wastes are not entering your
septic system or being sent illegally to dumps or municipal landfills. The
Governmental Refuse Collection and Disposal Association Clearinghouse
can provide technical assistance and advice about waste disposal:
GRCDAC, P.O. Box 7219, Silver Spring, MD 20910, telephone 800-458-5886.
Underground Tanks
Buried steel tanks used to store gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, and
other petroleum products have a lifespan of approximately 15 years. Rusted
and corroded tanks and lines can leak petroleum into groundwater and
contaminate large amounts of drinking water. If you can smell or taste a
petroleum product in your water, the water should not be used for drinking
or cooking until it has been tested. If you suspect that your drinking water
is contaminated by a petroleum product, contact the Virginia Water Control
Board (telephone 804-367-0056).
Most often residents who report contamination of well water by oil or
gasoline discover that their own leaking fuel tanks are responsible. If you're
building a house, locate the new tank above ground in a basement or garage
or use a new double lined or fiberglass tank. If your oil storage tank is old
and underground, check for the unexplained loss of oil. For example, if your
oil tank is used only for heating your home, check the gauge in late spring
and in fall before you begin to use your furnace again. The presence of
water in your tank also indicates a leak. If you're willing to spend $300 to
$500 a precision test for leaks can be done. A leaking tank should be
pumped dry and removed from the ground; buried steel tanks will rust out
eventually and could collapse, causing a cave-in above.
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Spills
An estimated 18 percent of the trucks on Virginia's highways carry
hazardous materials that, if spilled, could threaten ground or surface waters.
Accidents also happen at manufacturing and storage facilities across the
state. You can report spills by calling the 24-hour National Response Center
at 800-424-8802. Government agencies will respond immediately to contain
and lessen the effects of a chemical spill on land, in the air, or in water. In
Virginia, chemical spills and emergency response are handled by the
Hazardous Material Branch (Operations Division, Office of Emergency
Services), 7700 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23235, telephone
804-323-2300; and by the Virginia Emergency Response Council, telephone
804-786-5999 or 804-225-2667.
Underground Injection
a well. Examples nf '°n.ls Placement of fluids into the ground through
water return flow wpik" her9round iniection wells are cesspools, cooling
wells, sand backfill weii«f PU+mP exchan9e wel,s- agricultural drainage
solution mining wells. sePt,c sVste™. "improved sinkholes," and
underground source^TdTin^ °f »nU'dS containin9 contaminants into
Code of Federal Ren.nL e9 er ,S Prohibited by federal law (Title 40,
Control program paTof Z%	144 12). The Underground injection
that disposal of fluidQ h	Drinking Water Act, was created to ensure
drinking water sources V K'0^0? n0t threaten Present and future
Underground Iniection Contm^ n Environmental Protection Agency's
injection wells must ronnrt Pro9ram for Virginia, owners or operators of
Virginia's undemro ,nHPi° 7"S t0 the federal a^ncy for its inventory of
the EPA or the state nn |0C!°n We"S' .lmmediate action will be taken by
human health If vou nwwn ^ 9r°Und iniection wells that pose a risk to
not been reported to thp °rD°perate an underground injection well that has
Section U S Env r^ • - " C°ntaCt the Underground Injection Control
Street. PhilL^PAReBion
publication Fact	Jo?,' te,ePhone 215-597-9928. An informative
Virginia, is available	Control Program in
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Pesticides
The contamination of groundwater by pesticides occurs not necessarily
because the chemicals are misused but because they are used repeatedly
over vast tracts of land and may concentrate in soils. Agricultural drainage
wells, which drain runoff from fields, provide a direct conduit for pesticides
to enter groundwater supplies. Abandoned wells, improperly sealed wells,
stormwater drainage wells, and natural sinkholes also allow pesticides in
surface runoff to contaminate groundwater. The best way to reduce the
threat of groundwater contamination by pesticides is to reduce their use in
agriculture, forestry, and lawn and garden care. Using less toxic, rapidly
degradable pesticides with low leaching potentials and preventing pesticide
spills also reduce the possibility of groundwater contamination.
Integrated Pest Management, an alternative to relying solely on
pesticides, includes the use of biological control (natural pest predators),
cultural practices (patterns of planting), genetic manipulation (developing
pest-resistant crop varieties), and carefully planned use of chemicals to
protect crops Crop rotation, pest monitoring, and soil analysis and
conditioning can help promote healthy crops. The Virginia Integrated Pest
Management handbook, published by the Virginia Cooperative Extension
Service as 18 separate guides, outlines the latest recommendations for the
control of diseases, insects, and weeds on economically important crops,
ornamentals livestock, and pets. Information on alternatives to pesticide
use also is* available from a U.S. Department of Agriculture program.
Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (telephone 800-346-9140).
If you must use pesticides, always follow label directions when applying,
storinq handling, and discarding them Overapplication or improper
disposal can contaminate groundwater. Triple rinse empty containers and
dispose of pesticide in the rinse water by following disposal instructions on
the label Be sure to check local ordinances before you dispose of pesticide
containers in a landfill or trash receptacle The Virginia Department of
Waste Management (telephone 800-552-2075) can answer questions about
hazardous and nonhazardous classifications of waste.
If you suspect your drinking water supply has been contaminated by
pesticides call the Virginia Water Control Board's 24-hour pollution
response program 804-257-0080 For specific information about a variety
Of pesticide problems, try the following telephone numbers:
National Pesticide Telecommunications Network (24-hour medtcal advisories
on pesticide poisoning; general information on pesticides): 800-858 7378
Chemical. Drug, and Pesticide Unit, Virginia Polytechn.c
Institute and State University:	/U3-961^543
24-hour hotline for advice on contamination of animals:	217-333-3611
Department of Health Bureau of Toxic Substance Information: 804-786-1763
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Abandoned Wells
Improperly constructed or abandoned wells are a significant source of
groundwater contamination in Virginia. If wells are not properly capped and
sealed, they provide direct conduits for surface contaminants to enter
groundwater.
If you use well water, be sure your own well is properly located, built, and
sealed. If you move or change to a different water system, be sure that you
cap and seal your well properly. The Virginia Water Resources Research
Center's publication A Homeowner's Guide to Domestic Wells provides
information about well location, drilling, construction, maintenance, and
abandonment. Do not use abandoned wells for the disposal of any waste
materials. If you know of any abandoned wells, report them to your local
health official or the Virginia Water Control Board. The board's Best
Management Practices Handbook, Planning Bulletin 318 provides information
about finding and sealing abandoned oil and gas wells.
Overpumping groundwater in areas where naturally occurring salty
aquifers or marine waters are adjacent to freshwater aquifers can result in
the movement of salty water into fresh waters. If you live where saltwater
intrusion is a potential or already existing problem, water conservation is
probably the best contribution you can make to solving the problem.
Limiting "luxury" water use and adopting conservation devices and
measures such as turning off faucets while brushing teeth, shaving,
shampooing, or washing can help. In areas of low annual rainfall,
landscaping with drought-tolerant plants can reduce the amount of yard
watering needed. If lawns and gardens must be watered, don't use spray
irrigation; much of that water evaporates before reaching the plants that
need it. Drip irrigation, a method which delivers small amounts of water
throughout the day to meet the plant's water requirements, minimizes
evaporative water loss. Charging higher fees for water use and educating
the residential and industrial community about water conservation are easily
implemented methods to reduce potential groundwater mining-removing
more groundwater than is replaced by recharge—and saltwater intrusion.
Once an area has lost its groundwater to saltwater intrusion, developing
new water supplies can be extremely expensive.
Saltwater Intrusion
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Mining
Precipitation can carry heavy metals, acidity, and radioactive materials
from uncovered tailings and spoil piles into groundwater, and some methods
of mining disrupt aquifers and can result in nearby wells going dry. The
disposal of mining wastes and coal wash waters in abandoned mine pits or
wells of any sort may contaminate groundwater resources. Such practices
should be reported to the Environmental Protection Agency's Underground
Injection Control program (telephone 215-597-9928).
Groundwater damage from mining can be minimized by employing the
best management techniques and the best technology. In many cases,
federal and state permits are required for mining activities, well drilling, and
disposal of mine wastes. Threats to groundwater quality can be reduced by
neutralizing acid mine drainage and sealing aquifers affected by mining
activities. Tailings lagoons should be lined with impermeable liners and
should be reclaimed by covering with topsoil and planting grass. In some
cases it may be necessary to cap tailings lagoons or piles with impermeable
materials.
If you are aware of an orphaned non-coal mine site in your area or want
additional information on "Virginia's Orphan Land Program," contact the
Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy,
Division of Mineral Mining, P.O. Box 4499, Lynchburg. VA 24502, telephone
804-239-0602. To report locations of abandoned coal mining sites or
problems associated with abandonment, contact the Department of Mines,
Minerals, and Energy's Abandoned Mine Lands Group at the Division of
Mined Land Reclamation, P.O. Drawer U, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219.
Stockpiles and Bulk Storage
Storing large quantities of materials at convenient locations allows the
materials to be efficiently transported and used. Unfortunately, the improper
storage of some materials can contaminate aquifers. The Virginia
Department of Highways and Transportation is aware of the dangers of
storing road salt improperly and has issued guidelines for the storage and
use of deicing materials in the Virginia Water Control Board's Best
Management Practices Handbook 318. If you know of the improper bulk
storage of materials that could pose a threat to groundwater in your
community, contact the Virginia Water Control Board.
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Nitrates from septic tanks, feedlots, fertilizers applied to farms, gardens,
and lawns, and other sources can leach from soil into groundwater.
Agricultural drainage wells, used to dispose of excess water from croplands
during wet seasons, provide a direct route for fertilizers to contaminate
groundwater, as do improperly constructed or abandoned domestic wells.
If your well water exceeds the federal standard for nitrate, 10 parts per
million (ppm), doctors recommend the use of bottled water, particularly for
pregnant women and infants. In certain circumstances, high concentrations
of nitrate in drinking water can cause methemoglobinemia (".blue baby
syndrome") in infants and may poison livestock, especially cattle.
Reduction in the amount of nitrogen fertilizer used is the most effective
way to reduce fertilizer-derived nitrate in groundwater. Some of the
approved practices for reducing excess nitrate in the soil are using slow
release fertilizers, applying nitrogen fertilizer in small amounts during the
growing season as it is needed, and rotating crops with legumes, plants that
add nitrogen to soil. The proper siting of wells, septic systems, livestock
feedlots, and manure storage areas also can help reduce the potential for
nitrate contamination.
Using soil tests to determine the need for fertilizers in different soil types
and for various crops can save farmers and homeowners money in addition
to reducing the risk of groundwater contamination. The Soil Testing and
Plant Analysis Laboratory at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University (703-961-6893) can test your soil and provide information about
how much fertilizer or manure you need to use on your land. Appropriate
Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (800-346-9140) is an extension service
program that provides advice about crop rotation, decreased fertilizer use,
and other farming practices. Testing domestic well water for nitrates is an
important defense against nitrate poisoning, as is educating citizens,
doctors, and health officials about the symptoms of nitrate-induced illness.
For more information about protecting Virginia's groundwater from these or
other threats, contact:
Virginia Water Resources or
Research Center
617 North Main Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(703) 961-5624
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region III
Underground Injection
Control Section
841 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 597-9928

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