The Penn State Master Well Owner Network recently added 24 new volunteers who completed the Fall 2014 online training courses. These volunteers join over 600 others who are dedicated to providing unbiased, research-based education on the proper management of private water wells, springs and cisterns.
The 24 new volunteers are located across the state in Allegheny, Bucks, Center, Chester, Clarion, Columbia, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Westmoreland, and York Counties.
The MWON program transitioned toward online training of volunteers in 2011 in response to increasing demand for online education methods. Based on overwhelming demand, the seven-week online course is now offered twice each year in September and again in February.
To date, 161 individuals have started the online training course with 77 percent successfully graduating. The course has been highly rated by volunteers with 100 percent rating the course as “good” or “very good”.
Over three million people rely on a private water supply but Pennsylvania is one of the few states that do not regulate these drinking water supplies. The MWON program was started in 2004 to help meet the demand for education about proper voluntary management of these rural drinking water supplies.
The MWON program is administered by Penn State Extension with funding from the Department of Environmental Protection and the PA Ground Water Association. Over the past ten years, MWON volunteers have educated nearly 40,000 private water supply owners throughout Pennsylvania.
The next online training course for new MWON volunteers will start on February 9, 2015.
To learn more, visit the Master Well Owner Network webpage and to fill out an application to become a volunteer.
(Written By: Bryan Swistock, Extension Associate; Water Resources Coordinator, Email: brs@psu.edu, Phone: 814-863-0194 and reprinted from Dec. 22 Watershed Winds newsletter, Penn State Extension.)
No comments :
Post a Comment