Drinking Water Products and Resources

How to Order

2007 Drinking Water Product List Online (PDF) Download the newest edition of our Drinking Water Products List (New for Fall 2007)

Or order any of the publications or products below by calling NESC at (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191. You also may order by e-mail at info@mail.nesc.wvu.edu. Request the products by their item numbers.

Choose a Product

Groundwater Protection Poster (free download available)

Fact Sheets: Water Conservation (free download available)

Virtual System Explorer DVD Available

Shock Chlorination of Private Wells

2005 Outreach Resource Guide

Virginia's Small Water Systems Resource Pages

Small Town Wellhead and Source Water Protection

NESC Offers Sanitary Survey Fundamentals Training CD

NESC Offers Updated Operator Basics CD

Radionuclides Rule: A Quick Reference Guide

The Class V Rule: A Quick Reference Guide for Regulators

Filter Backwash Recycling Rule: A Quick Reference Guide

Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Report

Consumer Confidence Report Insert

Groundwater Protection Poster

The popular NDWC poster, "Groundwater Protection Begins at Home," (item #DWPSPE40), is available online. The poster was originally included with the spring 1995 On Tap newsletter, a special groundwater theme issue. Download the poster for free.

Fact Sheet: Water Conservation Measures

Water is a finite resource, and in many areas, future water supplies are uncertain. Because water is inexpensive, people have little incentive to reduce water loss. This fact sheet considers the role of water conservation as an integral part of lont-term resource planning.

New Training from the Montana Water Center
The Virtual System Explorer 2006, a new training program developed by the Montana Water Center, simulates small water system operations and can be used in workshops or by individuals on their computers. Users learn the basics of system operation, as well as how to recognize system deficiencies, perform a security risk assessment, and improve the financial and management capacity of a system.

The program features an untreated groundwater system, a treated groundwater system, and a surface water system, and includes the following components:

Exploration Activities—allows the user to experience system operation scenarios in a virtual environment.
Video Tours—showcases examples of actual small water systems from source to sink.
Exploration Basics—presents an overview of public water system operations.
Glossary—provides necessary terminology.

Virtual System Explorer is available in an online version (for those with high-speed Internet connections), as a downloadable program, or as a DVD that can be played on a computer or a television. To use on a personal computer, you’ll need a DVD-ROM drive, a 1 GHz processor, 800x600 16-bit color display, and 256 MB of RAM. To run this on your TV, you’ll need a DVD player and a remote control.

The online and downloadable versions of Virtual System Explorer are available on the Montana Water Center Web site at http://montana.water.edu/training/ve.

Product support information, including frequently asked questions, is available on the site as well. You may also learn more by e-mailing watercenter@montana.edu or calling (406) 994-6690.

A limited number of the programs are available in DVD format through the National Environmental Services Center (NESC). Call NESC at (800) 624-8301 or e-mail info@mail.nesc.wvu.edu. Request product #DWCDTR22 when ordering.
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2005 Outreach Resource Guide

Inside this guide you will find descriptions of more than 80 federal agencies and national organizations and programs that have interests in drinking water issues.

Download a free PDF copy of the 2005 Outreach Resource Guide below:

Color Version (2 MB)
Black & White Version (1 MB)

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Q&A: Shock Chlorination of Private Water Supplies
Adapted from Shock Chlorination of Wells and Springs and Emergency Disinfection of Water Supplies by Karen Mancl, Ohio State University Extension

In light of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation of coastal areas of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, restoring clean drinking water to the many destroyed small communities is a job almost beyond comprehension. Although less horrendous, much of the inland areas of these states and others have also been affected by flooding. Individuals and communities will likely be faced with correcting the subsequent contamination of private as well as public water supples. The National Environmental Services Center has compiled this information for those whose private drinking water supply has been contaminated with flood water. It is imperative that individuals with contaminated private wells and springs contact their local health departments for more information and assistance.

Q: What should I do if my well or spring gets flooded during or after a hurricane or other natural disaster?
First of all, don't drink the water. Even though there may be a cap on your well, it is not watertight. Coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, and other serious pathogenic contamination has occurred. To clean the well and to kill the bacteria you need to shock chlorinate your well or spring.

The chlorine concentration for this procedure is 100 to 400 times that of treated "city" water. The highly chlorinated water must remain in the pipes for 12 to 24 hours before it is flushed out, making the system ready for use.
For wells, the amount of chlorine needed to shock chlorinate is determined by the amount of water standing in the well. Table 1 lists the amount of chlorine laundry bleach or powdered high-test hypochlorite (HTH) needed for wells. If in doubt, use more chlorine rather than less.

Table 1. Amount of chlorine needed for shock chlorination

Q: How do I shock chlorinate a well?
To shock chlorinate a well:
1. Remove the bolted-on well cap, if it is still there. Pour the proper amount of chlorine bleach or powdered chlorine (from Table 1 above) dissolved in a small amount of water directly into the well.

2. Connect a garden hose to a nearby faucet and wash down the inside of the well. (Figure 2.) If a garden hose is not available, take jugs or buckets of the cleanest water you can find and pour down the inside of the well.

3. Open each faucet in your house one by one and let the water run until a strong odor of chlorine is detected. If a strong odor is not detected, add more chlorine to the well.
4. Let the water stand in the water system for at least 12 to 24 hours.
5. Flush the system of remaining chlorine. Start by turning on outside faucets and letting them run until the chlorine smell dissipates. Let the water run on the ground to reduce the load on your septic system. Finally, run the indoor faucets until the system is completely flushed.

Q: How do I shock chlorinate a spring?
Shock chlorinating a spring is more difficult. If possible, divert spring water away from the spring box. Mix about 1/2 cup of household bleach in 5 gallons of water and scrub the walls of the spring box or holding tank or both. Return the flow of spring water back into the spring box and let the fresh water carry the chlorine through the pipeline to disinfect the plumbing.

Most water treatment equipment, such as water softeners, iron filters, and sand filters, should also be shock chlorinated. Check the manufacturer's literature before chlorinating treatment equipment and pressure tank to prevent damage from strong chlorine solutions. Do not chlorinate carbon or charcoal filters; doing so will use up their capacity.

Be careful when handling concentrated chlorine solutions. Wear rubber gloves, goggles and a protective apron. If chlorine accidentally gets on your skin, flush immediately with clean water.
Never mix chlorine solutions with other cleaning agents or ammonia, because toxic gases are formed.

Do not use scented bleach or other special laundry products to disinfect wells. Use the plain and, usually, least expensive laundry bleach.

Retest your water supply for bacteria after waiting one to two weeks. If shock chlorination does not eliminate a bacteria problem, continuous disinfection may be necessary.

Q: My well pump won’t operate because there is no electricity. How can I treat the water for drinking?
You need to do emergency disinfection of water supplies.
Floods from hurricanes and storms can cause extended power failures and can make it impossible to use your well or spring for a drinking water supply. You may have to use water from an unsanitary supply for drinking. How can you ensure you do not get sick from drinking contaminated water?

Boiling is effective in disinfecting water. Vigorous boiling for one minute kills bacteria, including disease-causing organisms and Giardia cysts (which cause severe gastrointestinal illness). Any heat source, such as a gas or electric range or microwave oven (once power is restored), a camp stove, or a wood fire can be used to boil water. If you don’t have electricity or do not want to start a fire, you can use the following methods to disinfect water for drinking.

Tincture of iodine from a home medicine chest may be used. Follow these guidelines:

A few drops of chlorine bleach can be added to a gallon of water in an emergency. Use these measurements:

Chlorine and iodine tablets are available in drug stores and camping or sporting goods stores. Follow the directions on the container. Store disinfected water in clean, covered containers. All water used for drinking, cooking, preparing beverages, and brushing teeth should be disinfected.

Please contact your local health department for additional advice and assistance. For more information on disinfection of water systems, call the National Environmental Services Center at (800) 624-8301.

Adapted from the following reference: Documents AEX-318-91, Shock Chlorination of Wells and Springs and AEX-317-91, Emergency Disinfection of Water Supplies, Ohio State University Extension, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, Ohio 43210

Virginia's Small Water Systems Resource Web Site

Small water systems across the country share similar financial, managerial, and technical problems. Virginia Water Resources Research Center's Web site has a section devoted to small water systems that provides online assistance in the following categories:

• Regulations,
• Technical assistance,
• Financial assistance,
• Risk management,
• Seminars, conferences, and training opportunities, and
• Publications

Visit www.vwrrc.vt.edu/sws to learn more.

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Take this short course created by the Montana Water Center to learn the basics of small public water system operations. It's a good preparation tool for advanced sanitary survey inspector workshops.

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2005 Operator Basics CD
Water system personnel can learn about small facility operations by working through a series of challenging, colorful, and fun activities presented in this easy-to-use training program, Operator Basics.

The newest version of this interactive CD contains three courses and a “Water Exploration” showcase to prepare operators of small water systems for certification. Practice math and exam questions, glossary games, and useful contact links round out this popular training tool. Certified operators may use this training to meet continuing education requirements if approved in your state.

The Operator Basics Training Series is produced by the Montana Water Center and is available free from the National Drinking Water Clearinghouse. The project is funded by EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water to provide technical assistance to operators of small public drinking water systems.

Order the Operator Basics CD by calling the NDWC at (800) 624-8301 and ask for item number DWCDTR18. Limit: 1 copy per order. You can also order via e-mail at info@mail.nesc.wvu.edu.
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Radionuclides Rule: A Quick Reference Guide:
Item #DWFSRG66 June 2001

Radionuclides are a significant health issue in drinking water contamination. Releases from medical facilities and nuclear power plants add to the threat from naturally occurring radionuclides. Water operators can quickly review the requirements for implementing the Radionuclides Rule, which mandates reduction of these chemicals in drinking water, with this fact sheet from the U.S. EPA. Included in the fact sheet are an overview of the rule, a list of the contaminants, critical deadlines and requirements, and monitoring requirements for water systems.

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The Class V Rule: A Quick Reference Guide for Regulators:
Item # DWFSRG67 January 2000

Class V wells are shallow disposal systems located in every state, especially in unsewered areas where the population is also likely to depend on groundwater as a drinking water source. Revisions to the Class V Rule added new requirements for motor vehicle waste disposal wells and large-capacity cesspools. This fact sheet explains the rule and its revisions and outlines the implementation schedule for states and regions and for owners and operators.

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Filter Backwash Recycling Rule: A Quick Reference Guide:
Item #DWFSRG68 June 2001

Drinking water plants must periodically clean their filters to remove particles that accumulate. Many systems recycle spent filter backwash water into the treatment plants. This recycling, when performed improperly, may increase the risk of waterborne pathogens entering treated water. This one-page fact sheet from the U.S. EPA outlines the Filter Backwash Recycling Rule (FBRR), its requirements and deadlines, and lists the public health benefits.

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The Benefits of Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Report (item #DWBLRE06), is available online. A joint project of the the National Small Flows Clearinghouse and the NDWC, the report addresses the need for the U.S. government to continue supporting water and wastewater infrastructure funding.

The document discusses clean water's benefits to health, economic development, environmental protection, standard of living, and technology development.

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National Research Center for Coal and Energy
West Virginia University

©2007, National Environmental Services Center