Too much salt

The potential for salt water entering aquifers that are drawn down is also a concern.

Regions that are closest to salt water, as the Northern Neck is with the Chesapeake Bay, have the greatest potential for what’s referred to as salt-water intrusion, where declining levels of fresh water is replaced by nearby salt water.

McFarland said it takes a long time for salt water to move into the aquifer, and as far as scientists can tell, that hasn’t happened in the Tidewater Region.

He also said people who live along Coastal Plain have naturally occurring sodium in their well water. And the deeper the well, the more salt. Some of Northumberland County’s wells drill down some 800 plus feet to reach water.

Gerald Howard, a retiree who had moved back to his hometown in the Northern Neck, first noticed a problem with his well water in 2012. When he would wash his car, a white film remained. He joined 158 other homeowners around the Northern Neck in a state well-water testing clinic.

“I was shocked with the results,” said Howard, referring to the high levels of sodium found. “According to EPA standards, it should be 20 milligrams per liter and the average was 90.17. It was 75.5 percent above the standard.”