I support this initiative. Well water testing is already a program that is offered through the Virginia Cooperative Extension Offices on limited timelines and certain times of the year. However, creating a fund that makes these tests more affordable will make these tests more accessible and hopefully more frequently available to landowners that use wells. We need to know what is in our water and if it is safe to drink and use. This legislation may be the key to unlocking more resources for landowners to ensure their water is safe.

January 26, 2026 Dear Sub-Committee Chairperson Herring and Committee and Sub-Committee Members, I am writing in support of Del. Ellen McLaughlin’s bill, HB 348. I am a professional hydrogeologist and live within Rockbridge County, VA, a largely rural area where more than 70% of residents – along with businesses and schools - rely on private wells for drinking water. Like other rural areas in Virginia, much of our land use is agricultural and despite the lack of heavy industry, our local streams and ground water have been found to widely affected by contamination with cancer-causing PFAS ‘forever chemicals.’ When Virginia Tech and VA Extension offered their affordable pilot testing program for PFAS in private wells here, Rockbridge had among the highest participation rates in the State with nearly all results being positive for PFAS, including a separately tested Elementary School. Our public water systems are only able to reach the residents who live in densely populated areas, which means that currently the protections and eligibility for funding to test and treat public drinking water for PFAS and other hazardous substances in the drinking water are not available to most residents. Furthermore many of our residents cannot afford the cost of basic well testing, let alone costly commercial lab tests for PFAS. HB 348 would provide assistance for testing and treatment of toxic PFAS contamination similar to that received by urban residents, to those farm families and rural residents in the greatest need, protecting public health and the food supplies for everyone. Please vote to approve HB 348. Thank you, Barbara Walsh Barbara L. Walsh, Hydrogeologist 301 McLaughlin St. Lexington, VA 24450 540-460-6661 blwalsh123@gmail.com

As an environmental scientist I can see the overwhelming benefits that supporting bill HB348 would have for private well owners. I lived in Williamsburg for 4 years and drank water from highly regulated sources, but it's well known that rural communities can face less support when it comes to mitigating the effects that pollution can have on their natural resources. Without testing, well owners may be left wondering if the resource they need to survive is instead slowly harming them. Please support HB348 and contribute to there being safe water for everyone.

My name is Aileen Rivera. I'm a resident of Varina in Henrico county. I ask that you please support HB348-Residential Well Water Testing and Treatment Program and Fund. In our part of the county we have many families depend on private well water , don't have the resources for other sources of water, are dealing with PFAS in the well water and we need more support than what the county can currently offer. Having a standard of testing for PFAS in all Virginia communities that are surrounded by unregulated synthetic chemicals ensures the well being of our children and Virginia residents. PFAS linger in the environment and build up in organisms, including humans, taking so long to break down they have earned the name "forever chemicals," leading to widespread contamination and long-lasting risk of exposure. PFAS pose high risk to human health, linked to cancer; harm to fetal and/or infant development; increased cholesterol levels and/or risk of obesity; decreased fertility; increased high blood pressure during pregnancy; reduced immune system function; and disrupted hormonal processes. Sampling of public water supply wells shows numerous instances where PFAS exceed U.S. EPA drinking water standards1 and studies conclude that most wells in Virginia will have PFAS.2 Please vote yes for HB348.

My name is Sophie Massie. I live on a farm in Albemarle county, and our well is contaminated with PFAS. I drank from this well while I was pregnant. I drank from this well while I was nursing. I filled up sippy cups from this well. When we learned about the used of PFAS-laced biosolids in our area, we sought out a PFAS test. The results were devastating. We thought we were giving our kids a healthy start in life, but the whole time they were ingesting toxic "forever chemicals".... in utero…through my breastmilk…from the tap. They would have been better off on formula. They would have been better off in town. Rural folks deserve clean water too. Rural children deserve clean water too. Please support HB 348.

HB52 (Bloxom) Dredge materials are a valuable natural resource that is oftentimes dumped into open waters or onto overwintering crab populations. Dredge material can play a critical role in building coastal resilience and safeguarding communities. HB52 makes it the state's policy to outline uses for and utilize this material when feasible. HB348 (McLaughlin) Virginia offers rural well testing but not for PFAS. The application of toxins to lands in rural Virginia can impact our groundwater and communities. PFAS is prevalent in biosolids that have been applied on agricultural lands around the Commonwealth and presents significant public health risks. HB348 protects rural communities, provides valuable public health information, and helps the state map PFAS contamination in groundwater. HB386 (Krizek) Codifying the Chesapeake Bay Pay‑for‑Outcomes Fund positions Virginia at the forefront of innovative, results‑driven environmental policy. It rewards verified pollution reductions rather than modeled estimates, engages the private sector and non-profits, and accelerates measurable improvements in water quality. During the pilot program, Virginia received $110 million in requests for only $20 million and awarded 9 projects, removing more than 580,000 pounds of nitrogen at just $36 per pound. Codifying the fund allows us to continue identifying and investing in cost‑effective solutions -- prioritizing projects that deliver verified outcomes, prevent pollution, and promote innovation. HB389 (Askew) Climate change is driving changes in our fisheries. HB389 directs the commission to start planning for future conditions using the great research occurring at Virginia universities. Translating that research into forward looking fisheries policy ensures that the state continues to be a leader in sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. HB390 (Askew) Virginia faces permitting challenges and opportunities as the state tries to effectively combat more intense storms, sea level rise, land subsidence, habitat loss, and erosion. To meet these challenges, HB390 reinvigorates the Habitat Policy Oversight Committee within the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). The Committee will advise VMRC and its Habitat Management Division on habitat-related policies and activities and will support the Commonwealth’s coastal resilience efforts. HB521 (Hernandez) HB521 strengthens Virginia’s wetlands protections by moving Virginia’s “no net loss” of wetlands standard into code, requiring appropriate mitigation and establishing a stakeholder group to explore mitigation options for non-vegetated tidal wetlands, an often overlooked but essential habitat type. HB521 is a tool to meet Virginia’s wetlands goals under the newly signed Chesapeake Bay Agreement. HB599 (Simonds) An oyster stock assessment would use scientific data to estimate the abundance of oysters in Virginia’s portion of the Bay, the fraction of oysters that die each year from natural causes, and the sustainable amount of oysters that can be harvested each year while ensuring a healthy population in the Bay and its tributaries. Hb599 aids scientists, restoration groups, the oyster industry, and fishery managers in focusing restoration efforts that support positive ecological and economic outcomes.

HB348 Residential Well Water Testing and Treatment Program and Fund; established. People on municipal water systems are increasingly benefiting from an awareness of just how ubiquitous PFAS contamination is, in that operators of water treatment systems are voluntarily testing for PFAS, finding it, and taking significant measures, like installing giant activated carbon filters, to mitigate the contamination and protect their citizens. Meanwhile, those of us living in rural areas and dependent upon our well water, have no such support. There's no testing, no mitigation, not even an education effort to the rural population that a problem might exist. I am a small farmer -- so small that calling me a market gardener is probably more accurate. I'm trying to do everything right: I grow food with no chemical inputs whatsoever, no plastic row covers, no plastic water tanks. But even still, I know that the limited testing VDH has done over the last few years has shown a lot of Virginia wells have PFAS in them. So there's a chance I might be watering my crops with PFAS-contaminated water from my well. I'm scared to test it, because I know if I find something, I'm on my own. There is no safety net for me. There is no help from the state to tell me what to do and certainly no funds to help me do it. I have heard a rumor that the Farm Bureau is opposed to this bill, which, if true, is unfathomable to me. I'm a member of the Farm Bureau. Many of the people this bill would help and protect are small farmers, so what is the problem? Are they afraid of farmer's liability? That's a little ridiculous, because good luck proving that your contaminated well came from the farmer next door. There are literally hundreds of ways PFAS could get into a well. So here is a suggestion: instead of making low-income, rural families the sacrificial lambs on the altar of industrial agriculture, how about working to protect everyone by advocating for Virginia's version of Maine's Model for dealing with PFAS contamination. We need a liability shield for farmers; we need a state fund that covers testing and monitoring of land and well water, we need support for farmers and citizens that are affected by PFAS contamination, and we need state support for research and development of mitigation strategies that can be rapidly deployed. This bill is a step in that direction. It's something we can build on and it's a whole lot better than nothing. I urge you to show your respect for rural residents of this state, especially the children, and support this bill. Thank you.

My husband and I are residents of Rockbridge County and have a well that provides our drinking water. I feel strongly that this bill is needed to protect Virginia residents with private wells. The population of our state living in rural areas need attention paid to their drinking water just like residents of towns or municipalities with public water do. It is unfortunately not the case that rural wells provide clean water - there are a range of pollutants that show up in groundwater in rural areas, including PFAS compounds. PFAS pollution is a serious emerging environmental problem, and one of the main ways that people are exposed to these compounds is through their drinking water. It is difficult for people with private wells to get information about these pollutants of emerging concern, determine whether there is a problem with their water, and figure out what to do to protect their water and their health and that of their family. This initiative on the part of the commonwealth will pay multiple benefits to people in the state. I applaud the foresight and concern for people in our rural areas shown by Delegate McLaughlin in introducing this bill and urge our elected officials in the House of Delegates to approve this bill.