What’s in Your Water? Development and Evaluation of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program and Virginia Master Well Owner Network
Approximately one-fifth of Virginians (about 1.7 million people) rely on private water supplies (e.g., wells, springs, cisterns) for their household water. Unlike public water systems, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not regulate private systems. As a result, private water system owne...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Mississippi State University
2016-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Human Sciences and Extension |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/jhse/vol4/iss1/10/ |
| _version_ | 1811321427860652032 |
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| author | Brian Benham Erin Ling Peter Ziegler Leigh Anne Krometis |
| author_facet | Brian Benham Erin Ling Peter Ziegler Leigh Anne Krometis |
| author_sort | Brian Benham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Approximately one-fifth of Virginians (about 1.7 million people) rely on private water supplies (e.g., wells, springs, cisterns) for their household water. Unlike public water systems, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not regulate private systems. As a result, private water system owners are solely responsible for system maintenance and water quality but are often unaware of common issues and lack access to objective information. We report on the development and evaluation of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VAHWQP), an ongoing Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) program that provides affordable water testing and education about private water supply system maintenance and groundwater protection. A companion capacity-building program, the Virginia Master Well Owner Network (VAMWON), provides training to volunteers, agency collaborators, and VCE agents who support the goals and objectives of the VAHWQP by conducting VAHWQP drinking water clinics and other outreach efforts. Program assessment findings indicate that VAHWQP drinking water clinic participants regard this programming favorably and are taking recommended actions. We discuss the program assessment framework and continued efforts to improve these programs to achieve long-term behavioral changes regarding water testing and system maintenance, which will yield safer private water supplies and improved environmental stewardship. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T13:17:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-973244b57c5140dfa7cc0974e06ba987 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2325-5226 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T13:17:34Z |
| publishDate | 2016-02-01 |
| publisher | Mississippi State University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Human Sciences and Extension |
| spelling | doaj.art-973244b57c5140dfa7cc0974e06ba9872022-12-22T02:45:26ZengMississippi State UniversityJournal of Human Sciences and Extension2325-52262016-02-0141123138https://doi.org/10.54718/ATYW3374What’s in Your Water? Development and Evaluation of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program and Virginia Master Well Owner NetworkBrian Benham0Erin Ling1Peter Ziegler2Leigh Anne Krometis3Virginia TechVirginia TechVirginia TechVirginia TechApproximately one-fifth of Virginians (about 1.7 million people) rely on private water supplies (e.g., wells, springs, cisterns) for their household water. Unlike public water systems, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not regulate private systems. As a result, private water system owners are solely responsible for system maintenance and water quality but are often unaware of common issues and lack access to objective information. We report on the development and evaluation of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VAHWQP), an ongoing Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) program that provides affordable water testing and education about private water supply system maintenance and groundwater protection. A companion capacity-building program, the Virginia Master Well Owner Network (VAMWON), provides training to volunteers, agency collaborators, and VCE agents who support the goals and objectives of the VAHWQP by conducting VAHWQP drinking water clinics and other outreach efforts. Program assessment findings indicate that VAHWQP drinking water clinic participants regard this programming favorably and are taking recommended actions. We discuss the program assessment framework and continued efforts to improve these programs to achieve long-term behavioral changes regarding water testing and system maintenance, which will yield safer private water supplies and improved environmental stewardship.https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/jhse/vol4/iss1/10/cooperative extensionoutreachvolunteerassessmentevaluationgroundwaterwater qualitywell waterdomestic water supplyprivate water supply |
| spellingShingle | Brian Benham Erin Ling Peter Ziegler Leigh Anne Krometis What’s in Your Water? Development and Evaluation of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program and Virginia Master Well Owner Network Journal of Human Sciences and Extension cooperative extension outreach volunteer assessment evaluation groundwater water quality well water domestic water supply private water supply |
| title | What’s in Your Water? Development and Evaluation of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program and Virginia Master Well Owner Network |
| title_full | What’s in Your Water? Development and Evaluation of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program and Virginia Master Well Owner Network |
| title_fullStr | What’s in Your Water? Development and Evaluation of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program and Virginia Master Well Owner Network |
| title_full_unstemmed | What’s in Your Water? Development and Evaluation of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program and Virginia Master Well Owner Network |
| title_short | What’s in Your Water? Development and Evaluation of the Virginia Household Water Quality Program and Virginia Master Well Owner Network |
| title_sort | what s in your water development and evaluation of the virginia household water quality program and virginia master well owner network |
| topic | cooperative extension outreach volunteer assessment evaluation groundwater water quality well water domestic water supply private water supply |
| url | https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/jhse/vol4/iss1/10/ |
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