Wellhead Protection and Land-Use

1. Wellhead Protection and Land-Use By Judy Muehl Pennsylvania Rural Water Association

2. It’s Cheaper to Prevent Contamination • Quantifiable costs • Treatment • Pollution clean-up • Litigation? • Loss of property value and tax revenue • Less quantifiable costs • health costs from exposure

3. Well Head Contamination Contamination Can be Local or Widespread Insects Small mammals Barnyard, yards, dumps, mines, septic systems, etc. Surface water soil Bedrock Aquifer Contamination Aquifer Groundwater Flow

4. X Water Supply Protection Starts at Home! Septic systems Driveways Fertilizer Pesticides Keep activities at least 50 feet or more from wellhead or spring box

5. Dispose of Household Chemicals Properly PublicizeHousehold HazardousWaste CollectionPrograms

6. Properly Locate the Water Supply Wellhead protection zones Greatest impact on well Moderate impact on well Some impact on well stream Direction of Groundwater Movement well barn and barnyard home and septic system

7. Wellhead Protection Area • A minimum of 50 feet in every direction • Preferably more than 50 feet upgradient from the well • Why 50 feet? • That’s the active recharge area for a typical home well producing 200 gallons per day.

8. Wellhead Protection Zones for Public Water Supplies Where is the water that needs protection? Zone I 100 - 400 Ft Zone II Capture Zone Zone II + Zone III = Area of Contribution Zone III Red = sources of potential contamination

9. Coliform Bacteria • “Indicator” organisms • Indicate the “potential” for disease-causing bacteria • E. coli is an example • One of the most common problems in wells and springs • Occur in about 50% of private water systems • Can enter wells and springs from surface runoff, human/animal waste, insects, etc. • May occur from poor construction or aquifer contamination

10. Seal the spring box to prevent insects, animals and surface contamination

11. Proper Construction Can Prevent Wellhead Contamination Sanitary well cap Good casing Sloping Ground Soil Grout seal Bedrock Water Table Groundwater “aquifer”

12. Don’t Get Carried Away ! Photo by Tom McCarty

13. Grouting Reduces Bacterial Contamination % Contaminated (Zimmerman et al., 2002)

14. Sanitary Well Caps Also Help Standard Well Cap Sanitary Well Cap Approximately 50% of private wells had obvious insect activity under cap 15% of wells with total coliform bacteria could be solved by installing a sanitary well cap.

15. Even a Perfect Well Can Have Bacteria

16. Larger Scale Groundwater Contamination Agricultural Acid Mine Drainage Commerce/ Industry Residences Waste Management Stormwater Runoff

17. Groundwater Moves !

18. Common Naturally Occurring Problems in PA Groundwater • White residue, dull laundry – hardness • 42% of wells and springs have hard water > 180 mg/L • Especially in carbonate (limestone) areas • Reddish stains, metallic taste – iron • Common in sandstone / shale aquifers • Black stains, metallic taste - manganese • Often occurs with iron • Rotten egg odor - hydrogen sulfide gas • Very common in wells in certain shale formations • Blue stains, metallic taste - corrosive water • Generally caused by low pH and soft water

19. Corrosivity and Low pH Percent Not Meeting Standard Region of PA

20. Natural Problems Can Cause Other Pollutants • Lead in Private Water Supplies • Based on 1,600 samples • Comes mostly from corrosion of plumbing • High correlation between blue stains, metallic taste and lead Percent Above 15 ppb Region of PA

21. Land Use Impacts Groundwater Houses Bacteria Nitrate Sediment Yard Chemicals Roads Chloride, Sodium Landfills Organics, ? Industry Organics, Petroleum Mining Metals, pH Agriculture Bacteria, Nitrate, Pesticides

22. Water Testing Should Target Local Land Uses Routine water testing PRIOR to activities is important to document water quality and may provide some legal protection !

23. How Close do Activities Need to Be? • In general, homeowners should be concerned about activities that are visible from their home • In limestone or gravel aquifers, activities further from the home could be important

24. Example of Land Use Impact 1,600 private water supplies in PA Average Nitrate-N (mg/L)

25. Occurrence of Nitrate in Private Water Supplies Nitrate most often occurs with intensive agriculture Percent Above 10 mg/L Region of PA

26. Iron and Sulfate in Private Water Supplies Iron and sulfate are most prevalent in coal mining regions Percent Above Standard Region of PA

27. Other Health-Related Pollutants • Giardia and Cryptosporidium • Protozoans common in surface water • Very rare in wells and springs • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) • Around industrials sites, gas stations, urban areas, etc. • Examples – benzene, PCE, TCE, toluene • Widespread in some areas, especially SE Pennsylvania • Pesticides • Occur in <5% of wells and springs that have been tested • Atrazine is the most common pesticide detected

28. Land Use Can Also Affect Water Quantity • Reduces infiltration through compaction (yards) or pavement (roads, sidewalks, driveways) causing less recharge of groundwater • Homes with wells and public sewer may remove water from the aquifer • Sprawl moves water use from cities to suburban or rural areas = more users in traditionally rural areas • Groundwater mining may occur = more withdrawal than recharge • Common misconception is that homowner owns water under their property

29. Abandoned Wells • May serve as a pathway for future contamination of groundwater • Should be plugged by a licensed well driller Photo: Purdue Extension Service Graphic: North Dakota State Univ.

30. Homeowner Actions • Practice local wellhead protection on their property • Be aware of current and proposed land use surrounding their property • Test water annually for pollutants associated with current or proposed land uses