Roanoke, VA -- The Virginia Cooperative Extension will host well water clinics in Roanoke in August. The testing is part of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VAHWQP), with the goal of improving the water quality and health of Virginians using private water supplies. This includes wells, springs, and cisterns.
The informational meeting for Roanoke’s clinic will take place on Monday, Aug. 21, at 6 p.m. at the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building (215 Church Ave.) where attendees will receive sampling kits. Samples must be collected by the homeowner on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 23, and returned to the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building between 8 and 10 a.m. on that day. All results are kept strictly confidential. Anyone with a private water supply system (including wells, springs, and cisterns) may participate. The cost is $55 per sampling kit, compared to more than $300 for a comparable test in a private lab.
Participants will attend a brief presentation on Aug. 21 explaining common water quality issues in our area and be provided instructions for collecting water samples. Homeowners will then collect samples in their homes, which will be analyzed at Virginia Tech for lead, iron, manganese, nitrate, arsenic, fluoride, sulfate, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, sodium, copper, total coliform bacteria and E. Coli bacteria. Confidential reports and additional information will be provided to homeowners at a follow-up meeting.
Initiated in 1989, VAHWQP drinking water clinics have been conducted in nearly every county across Virginia and 19,500 samples have been analyzed. Results are confidentially returned to participants. Drinking water clinics are organized by Extension Agents and Virginia Tech faculty in the Biological Systems Engineering Department.
Pre-registration is required to attend Roanoke's clinic. To participate, homeowners should register through the Virginia Cooperative Extension office by calling 540-772-7524. Space for is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information, contact the Roanoke County/Roanoke and Salem office of Virginia Cooperative Extension at 540-772-7524 or visit their website.
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