Nearly 200 private wells, springs, and cisterns were tested in 2024 as part of educational webinars and workshops helping private water supply owners identify and solve health-related drinking water problems.
For the fourth consecutive year, Penn State Extension provided educational webinars and accredited laboratory water testing to private water supply owners across Pennsylvania.
Funding for this program was made available from the Pennsylvania Department of Health cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Environmental Health Capacity building initiative (Grant #1NUE1EH001414-01-00).
This year, three webinars were offered to a Statewide audience, one targeting Cumberland County residents, and six in-person workshops were provided in Dauphin, Greene, Jefferson, Lancaster, Monroe, and York Counties from January through August 2024.
After attending a webinar or workshop, participants received a free water test from the Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory for bacteria, nitrate, manganese, lead, copper, arsenic, sodium, and barium.
Initial programs discussed water testing, water system inspection and maintenance, as well as water treatment options to solve water quality problems.
Participants were also emailed a recorded presentation to help them interpret their water test results at their convenience and encouraged to contact a Water Resources Extension Educator if they had additional questions about their water test results.
For participants without internet access, phone call-in options were available.
This project tested 197 private water supplies within Pennsylvania. There were 164 health-based failures and 139 aesthetic failures across all water samples.
The following table shows the percentage of water supplies that failed for each parameter that was tested as part of this project [Click Here for results table].
Among the results were: 52% of the wells tested failed for sodium levels; 50% failed due to high total coliform bacteria; 12% for E.coli bacteria; 10% manganese; 6% copper; 5% nitrate; 4% lead; 3% arsenic and 0% barium.
In October, a follow-up evaluation was emailed to all participating households to determine how many had taken actions to improve the management of their water supply.
Of these households, there were a total of 72 responses, and 43% indicated that water testing revealed a water quality concern.
When asked if they had taken any action after attending a webinar, 79% selected "yes" (n=54).
In addition to water testing, other actions participants took included talking to others about what they had learned (50%), learning about a health-related problem with their drinking water that they weren't previously aware of (28%), visiting the Extension website to learn more (26%), installing water treatment for their home drinking water (20%), establishing a 100 ft. water supply protection area (20%), improving their water system construction (19%), shock chlorinating their well (15%), and obtaining a copy of their well completion report (6%).
Additionally, 89% (n=55) of participants indicated that they were able to save money by participating in this program by having their water tested, improving their water supply construction to avoid installing continuous treatment, learning about appropriate water tests to reduce water testing costs, learning about water treatment to avoid unneeded treatment systems, or installing water-saving appliances.
Penn State Extension will continue to offer educational programs and water testing to residents that utilize private water supplies in selected counties.
Future Programs
To receive notifications of when water-related programs are offered in your county, sign up to receive emails and select "Drinking and Residential Water" as one of your areas of interest.
Questions about this article can be directed to Danielle Rhea at drs5277@psu.edu.
Upcoming Extension Events
-- November 24: In-Person: Meadow Seeding For A Hands-On Stormwater Solution. Rose Tree county Park, Media, Delaware County 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
-- November 26: Webinar: Do On-Lot Septic Systems Impact Water Quality? Noon
-- December 10: Webinar: On-Lot Septic System Questions And Answers. Noon
-- Penn State Extension Water Online Courses
Other Extension Articles
-- Master Watershed Steward Jane Cook Leads By Example In Lehigh Valley
-- Master Watershed Stewards Naturalize Stormwater Basin In York County
-- Master Watershed Stewards In York Introduce Urban Youth To Fishing
-- Private Water Supply Education, Water Testing In 2024
-- Managing Your Well During A Drought
-- Celebrating World Toilet Day [November 19]
-- Novel Stream Restoration Method For Wild Trout, Ecosystem Health: Replenishing Dead Wood
-- Algae In Pennsylvania Ponds
-- Why Are You Thankful For Water?
-- Discovering Your Local Watershed, A Guide To Available Resources
(Reprinted from the latest issue of the Watershed Winds Newsletter from Penn State Extension. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)
Related Articles This Week - Watersheds:
-- DEP Briefs Water Resources Committee On Proposed Changes To PAG-13 General Permit For Small Municipal Stormwater Dischargers; Latest Emerging Contaminants Sampling Results; Microplastics Study [PaEN]
-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation Will Fight Preliminary FERC Permit Granted For Proposed Susquehanna River Hydroelectric Project In York County [PaEN]
-- Penn State Center For Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training Seeks Input On Shaping Agenda For ACAP Ag Conservation Con 2025 In April [PaEN]
-- Berks Nature: New Data On The Annual Economic Value Of Nature Documents $853 Million In Savings, $938 Million In Outdoor Recreation Benefits To Citizens of Berks County [PaEN]
-- PA Emergency Management Agency, Delaware River Basin Commission: Nov. 26 Hazard Mitigation Grant Funding Webinar, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
-- EPA Accepting Comments On New Draft Framework To Advance Consideration of Cumulative Impacts On Communities [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners Newsletter: Our Values In Action; News Around The Watershed; Recreation Access For All; Opportunities For All; New Podcast; Upcoming Events
-- The Allegheny Front: New ClearWater Conservancy Conservation Education Center In Centre County Lands Federal, State Funding
-- Reading Eagle: Berks Nature Emphasizes Community Planning During State Of The Environment Breakfast
-- Chesapeake Bay Program: Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone ‘Near Average’ In 2024
-- National Review: Northeast Pennsylvania Needs Natural Gas - New Congress, New Federal Administration Should Overturn Delaware River Basin Commission Moratorium On Shale Gas Fracking - By Jason Adams [PDF of Article]
-- Delaware RiverKeeper Nov. 22 RiverWatch Video Report
-- MCall: Plans For Route 512 Warehouses, Landfill Expansion Raise Traffic, Environmental Concerns
-- WNEP: PA American Water Finishes Dredging Silt Released From Dam Rehab Project Into Roaring Brook
-- Scranton Times: PA American Water Dredges Silt Released From Dam Rehab Project Into Roaring Brook
-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: Delaware River Basin Managers Could Take Conservation Efforts If Drought Worsens
-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Delaware River Water Levels At 60% As Salt Front Increases Amid Drought
-- KYW: Officials Eyeing Delaware River Salt Levels As Philly-Area Drought Worsens
[Posted: November 21, 2024] PA Environment Digest
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