Water and Life in Floyd, Virginia

We have a lot more influence on our water supply than many people realize. As this rural county grows, it is becoming increasingly important that we need to know how to preserve and protect this vital resource.

Ground water is such a part of our lives that we often take it for granted–it is "out of sight, out of mind." Here in Virginia, we use almost 50 billion gallons of ground water each year. (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality website)

Ninety percent of homes in Floyd County depend on groundwater sources, yet few of us know where the water in our wells comes from. In this region of the Blue Ridge, the "recharge area" for a well is typically less than a mile. What we drink is materially affected by how we and our neighbors treat the environment.

Ground water moves laterally to pumping wells. The "recharge area" for a well depends on how deep the well is and in what types of rock or sediment it is located. Throughout Virginia’s five major physiographic provinces, shallow dug or bored wells are not much deeper than the water table and usually obtain water that infiltrated relatively nearby, typically less than a mile.

Recharge areas for deeper wells are more variable. Recharge to wells drilled into rocks in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge also is fairly localized. For a better understanding of groundwater and how it behaves, visit  http://www.deq.virginia.gov/gwpsc/faq.html

On Floyd Earth Day 2008, at Floyd County High School, five speakers will be discussing water quality issues and remedies from a number of different perspectives beginning at 9:30 am on April 19th. If you live in Floyd and plan to maintain your quality of life and ensure a continuing supply of pure drinking water, this is an event that you might want to attend.

The speakers will be: Fred First, Tammy Stevenson, Rupert Cutler, Jason Rutledge, and David Crawford. A full discussion of the issues and the qualifications of these speakers will be available at floydearthday.com.

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