Virginia Private Well Water Quality 2026

Virginia’s Military PFAS Problem

Virginia is home to one of the largest concentrations of military installations in the United States — and that comes with a serious cost to groundwater quality. Decades of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) use at airfields and naval facilities has left a legacy of PFAS contamination that now threatens private drinking water wells across multiple counties.

Environmental testing has revealed some of the highest military PFAS groundwater concentrations in the country at Virginia bases. Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton recorded combined PFOS and PFOA concentrations in groundwater reaching 2,225,000 parts per trillion (ppt) — that is more than 550,000 times the federal drinking water limit of 4 ppt. Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach recorded up to 493,600 ppt, and Fentress Naval Auxiliary Landing Field in Chesapeake recorded 52,900 ppt. Norfolk Naval Station also has documented PFAS in groundwater at levels above the federal standard.

PFAS does not stay in place. It migrates through soil and groundwater, spreading outward from the original contamination source over time. Private wells in communities around these installations — including Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Hampton, and Newport News — face real exposure risk. The Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism documented that elevated PFAS was found in more than 64% of the wells sampled near Norfolk Naval Station, NAS Oceana, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, and Fentress Naval Auxiliary Landing Field.

Military bases are not the only source. Richmond International Airport has been sampling PFAS-contaminated stormwater discharges into the White Oak Swamp watershed, which drains into the Chickahominy River. This prompted Henrico County to conduct a six-month private well testing programme, during which dozens of wells were found to contain detectable levels of PFAS. The Army and Air National Guard units that previously occupied the airport site are also under investigation for their contribution to the contamination.

In Roanoke, the Spring Hollow Reservoir — a municipal drinking water source — was found to contain GenX, a PFAS compound traced to an industrial discharge from an Elliston wastewater treatment plant customer. The Western Virginia Water Authority modified its treatment processes to bring GenX below the federal MCL of 10 ppt. Private wells in the surrounding area were also tested by the Virginia Department of Health.

On Virginia’s Eastern Shore, NASA Wallops Flight Facility contaminated the town of Chincoteague’s drinking water supply through decades of AFFF use. A $2.5 million water treatment system came online in 2021 to address the contamination — but private wells in and around the island remain a concern for long-term residents.

Nitrate and Bacteria Risks in Virginia Wells

In Virginia’s rural counties — where private well use reaches 80% or more of households — nitrate contamination from agricultural runoff is a serious and underreported risk. A 2025 report from the Center for Progressive Reform found a strong geographic overlap between animal feeding operations, predicted underground nitrate levels, and elevated nitrate detections in private wells. Nitrate is colourless and odourless; it is especially dangerous for infants under six months, in whom it can cause methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome).

Virginia’s geology also introduces naturally occurring radionuclides — uranium and radium — into groundwater in certain areas, particularly where bedrock contains naturally radioactive rock. The Virginia Department of Health lists radiological testing as part of its recommended baseline panel for all private well owners.

Coliform bacteria contamination remains a risk at wells with ageing infrastructure, improperly sealed wellheads, or proximity to malfunctioning septic systems. Flooding events — increasingly common in coastal and low-lying parts of Virginia — can introduce surface bacteria into well casings. Annual testing for bacteria and nitrate is the baseline minimum recommended by VDH and the National Ground Water Association.

Virginia’s Regulatory Situation for Well Owners

Private residential wells in Virginia are not subject to the Safe Drinking Water Act or its state equivalent. The only mandatory testing requirement is a single coliform bacteria test when a new well is drilled. After that, all subsequent testing is entirely at the discretion of the well owner — there is no requirement for ongoing testing, no notification if contamination is detected nearby, and no disclosure requirement when a property with a private well is sold or rented.

Virginia has taken some steps to address PFAS in public water systems. A 2024 law (HB1085/SB245) established a PFAS Expert Advisory Committee and requires the Virginia Department of Health to notify the Department of Environmental Quality when PFAS is detected above MCLs in public systems. A 2025 law (HB 2050) created the Occoquan Reservoir PFAS Reduction Program — targeting the Northern Virginia drinking water source that supplies hundreds of thousands of residents. These protections apply only to public water systems. Private wells are excluded entirely.

For PFAS specifically: the federal MCLs of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS apply to public systems, with a compliance deadline of 2031. Private wells are outside the scope of these rules. Testing and treatment of your own well remains entirely your responsibility.

Check our Virginia municipal water quality page for city-by-city tap water data, use our live boil water notice tracker for active advisories across the state, or see our PFAS Protection Map 2026 to understand how Virginia compares with other states on PFAS regulation.

Known High-Risk Areas in Virginia

If you live near any of the following locations, well water testing is urgent — not precautionary.

How to Test Your Virginia Well Water — and What to Do Next

Given Virginia’s contamination profile — military PFAS, agricultural nitrate, and naturally occurring radionuclides — every private well owner in the state should test their water, regardless of location. PFAS is colourless, odourless and tasteless, and can be present at harmful levels with no detectable sign.

The Virginia Household Water Quality Program, run through Virginia Tech, offers low-cost testing and technical assistance for well owners across the state at wellwater.bse.vt.edu. You can also contact your local VDH health district office for a list of certified laboratories, or search the Virginia DEQ’s PFAS Testing Dashboard at deq.virginia.gov for contamination data near your location. Rural well owners in need of financial support with testing or remediation may be eligible for grants through the Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SERCAP).

For filter options, our water filter solutions page covers reverse osmosis systems for PFAS, UV disinfection for bacteria, and whole-house well systems for comprehensive treatment. You can also check your ZIP code for local water quality context or browse our water quality news for the latest contamination developments.

For nearby Southeast well water risks, see our pages on North Carolina wells and Michigan wells. For city-level tap water data in Virginia, see our pages on Richmond and the Virginia state water quality overview. For the full national PFAS picture, see our PFAS Protection Map 2026. Return to the private well water directory to find your state.