Well water quality and earthquakes

On Aug. 23rd, Virginians experienced an earthquake measuring 5.8 for approximately 20-30 seconds. Buildings were immediately inspected for structural damage, but very few people gave thought to the impact of the quake on their wells and septic tanks!

Earthquakes have been known to cause wells and septic tanks to leak and sometimes fail. Brownish or dirty well water is also a common occurrence after an earthquake.

If your water has changed color or has become cloudy after the earthquake, it is recommended that you test your well water for bacteria. For more information on this potentially hazardous issue go to: http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/

Your local Extension office will have a list of vendors that can test your well water.

• Frederick County Extension - (540)665-5699
• Warren County Extension - (540) 635-4549
• Clarke County Extension - (540) 955-5164
• Shenandoah County Extension - (540) 459-6140
• Page County Extension - (540) 778-5794