CAPE CHARLES, VA — Virginia American Water has issued a formal response to concerns raised about chloride levels in Cape Charles’ drinking water supply, providing additional information about water quality testing, reporting requirements, and plans to replace an existing production well.
The October 8, 2026, letter, addressed to Mayor Charney and members of the Cape Charles Town Council, was forwarded to the Cape Charles Mirror by the Cape Charles Town Manager and Town Council.
The response follows an earlier letter submitted to town officials by Kenneth Dufty questioning chloride levels and water quality reporting.
In the correspondence, Kelly Ryan, Manager of Water Quality & Environmental for Virginia American Water, sought to clarify several issues involving the utility’s annual water quality reports, monitoring procedures, and the significance of elevated chloride readings from Tower Well 1.
Water Company Explains Differences in Reported Chloride Levels
One of the principal issues addressed in the letter involves the age of water quality data published in Virginia American Water’s 2025 Annual Water Quality Report, also known as the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
According to the utility, the report includes metals and minerals testing results from 2023 because those parameters are only required to be sampled once every three years.
Virginia American Water maintains that the 2023 data represented the most recent information available under the applicable testing schedule when the 2025 report was prepared.
The company also disclosed a more recent chloride measurement.
Water samples collected from the treatment plant’s effluent in June 2026 showed a chloride concentration of 204.1 milligrams per liter (mg/L), according to the letter. That result is expected to appear in the company’s 2026 Consumer Confidence Report.
The distinction is significant because the chloride levels measured at individual wells can differ substantially from those measured in water leaving the treatment facility.
Tower Well 1 Shows Elevated Chloride Readings
Virginia American Water also addressed chloride measurements from Tower Well 1, identified as Well No. 165-00387.
The company explained that chloride results from this well are reported quarterly to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), as required under its water withdrawal permit.
Although water quality samples are collected from multiple wells, the utility said the earlier correspondence focused on Tower Well 1 because that particular well is designated for water use and water quality monitoring under the permit.
The company’s response included the following quarterly chloride measurements:
| Sampling Period | Chloride Concentration |
|---|---|
| 2nd Quarter 2026 (June) | 900.9 mg/L |
| 1st Quarter 2026 (March) | 807.8 mg/L |
| 4th Quarter 2025 (December) | 767.7 mg/L |
| 3rd Quarter 2025 (September) | 677.1 mg/L |
| 2nd Quarter 2025 (June) | 291.7 mg/L |
| 1st Quarter 2025 (March) | 706.1 mg/L |
| 4th Quarter 2024 (December) | 670.6 mg/L |
The results show substantial variation, including a sharp decline in June 2025 followed by increasing concentrations in subsequent quarterly samples.
The highest reported measurement, 900.9 mg/L in June 2026, was more than four times the 204.1 mg/L concentration measured at the treatment plant effluent that same month.
For context, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established a secondary drinking water standard of 250 mg/L for chloride. This is a non-enforceable guideline primarily associated with aesthetic concerns, including salty taste, rather than a federal health-based maximum contaminant level.
The Tower Well 1 readings exceed that secondary benchmark in most of the periods reported. However, the company emphasizes that the well’s readings should not be interpreted as representing the chloride concentration in water currently delivered to Cape Charles customers.
Utility Says Tower Well 1 Is Not Routinely Used
An important clarification in the company’s response concerns whether Tower Well 1 is currently contributing to the town’s drinking water supply.
Virginia American Water states that although Tower Well 1 remains available for use, it has not been routinely utilized as a drinking water source because of declining water quality.
“As a result, the chloride concentrations reported from this well are not necessarily representative of the water currently being delivered to customers,” the company explained.
This distinction is central to the utility’s response.
While elevated chloride concentrations at a production well may raise concerns about the condition of the groundwater source, they do not necessarily establish that customers are receiving water with those same concentrations.
Nevertheless, the reported results provide a window into the water quality challenges affecting at least one of the wells associated with the Cape Charles water system.
Plans Underway to Replace Tower Well 1
Virginia American Water also confirmed that it is working toward constructing a replacement production well for Tower Well 1.
According to the October 8 letter, the company has already identified a location for the replacement well and is awaiting approval from the Virginia Department of Health before proceeding.
The correspondence does not specify the proposed location, anticipated construction schedule, estimated cost, or projected completion date.
The replacement effort indicates that the utility is pursuing a longer-term solution for a well it acknowledges has experienced declining water quality.
Questions Remain About Long-Term Water Supply
Although Virginia American Water’s response provides additional information about testing requirements and explains why Tower Well 1 readings differ from treated-water results, the data also underscore the importance of continued monitoring.
The quarterly measurements document persistently elevated chloride concentrations at Tower Well 1, with the latest reported value reaching 900.9 mg/L.
The company’s explanation that the well is not routinely used for drinking water helps distinguish source-water conditions from finished drinking water quality.
However, the correspondence leaves several questions unanswered, including when the replacement well will be completed, what caused the elevated chloride concentrations, and what steps are planned to protect the reliability of the town’s long-term water supply.
The letter does not establish the cause of the elevated chloride readings or provide a timetable for resolving the issue.
For Cape Charles residents, the key distinction is between the condition of an individual groundwater well and the quality of the treated water entering the distribution system.
The utility’s June 2026 treatment plant result of 204.1 mg/L falls below the EPA’s secondary chloride guideline of 250 mg/L, while the most recent Tower Well 1 measurement is substantially higher.
As Virginia American Water moves forward with plans for a replacement well, continued reporting and transparency will remain important to residents seeking assurances about the community’s drinking water.
The October 8 letter provides the company’s response to the concerns raised by Kenneth Dufty and offers additional context for interpreting the available chloride data.
The Cape Charles Mirror will continue to follow developments concerning the replacement well, water quality monitoring, and the long-term reliability of Cape Charles’ drinking water supply.
Source: October 8, 2026, correspondence from Kelly Ryan, Manager, Water Quality & Environmental, Virginia American Water, to Mayor Charney and the Cape Charles Town Council. The correspondence was forwarded to the Cape Charles Mirror by the Cape Charles Town Manager and Town Council.
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