DEP Citizens Advisory Council Urges Senate To Pass Water Well Standards Bill

The DEP Citizens Advisory Council wrote to members of the Senate Friday urging them to pass House Bill 343  (Miller-R-York) which would set standards for the construction and abandonment of private water wells.

The Council has a diverse membership of 18 individuals appointed by the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House.

The text of the letter follows--

Dear Senators:

I am contacting you on behalf of the Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) to express the CAC’s strong support of House Bill 343 (P.N. 2004).  The legislation authorizes the Environmental Quality Board to promulgate regulations for the establishment of water well construction and decommissioning standards.
The bill was passed by the House in June with bipartisan support and awaits action in the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.  

With only a limited number of days in this legislative session, the CAC respectfully asks for your support and immediate action on this important bill.

Pennsylvania is one of only two states nationwide that does not have water well construction standards in place to protect the integrity of groundwater resources.  Without these standards in place, private water wells can be improperly constructed, resulting in the creation of pathways for bacteria and contaminants to degrade well water quality.  

Approximately 3 million Commonwealth residents depend on private water wells for drinking water, making this bill integral to protecting public health and sustaining Pennsylvania's groundwater quality.

The CAC is not alone in its position that water well construction standards are needed in Pennsylvania.  

In 2008, the Statewide Water Resources Committee, through the issuance of the Commonwealth's State Water Plan, called upon the PA State Legislature to pass legislation establishing statewide private water well construction standards as an integral part of the Commonwealth's water resource protection program.  

The Governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission in 2011 reiterated this call by also recommending that private water well construction standards legislation be enacted to ensure the delivery of safe drinking water to the residents of Pennsylvania.

Every year approximately 20,000 new water wells are drilled in Pennsylvania.  Through the passage of H.B. 343, you can ensure these wells are constructed to national standards that will protect public health.  

Thank you for your consideration of H.B. 343.  If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Michele Tate, CAC Executive Director, at 717-787-4527 or by email at mtate@pa.gov.

Sincerely,

Terry Dayton

Chair

DEP Citizens Advisory Council

A copy of the letter is available online.

The PA Environmental Council, other groups and former DEP Secretary David Hess have also urged the Senate to pass House Bill 343.