Guest Essay: We Helped PA Homeowners ID PFAS 'Forever Chemicals,' Other Contaminants In Drinking Water Wells - Then The Feds Cut Funding

By Kelly Kosiarski, Graduate Assistant, Penn State University

The following guest essay first appeared in the Erie Times on July 23, 2025--

Imagine if you didn't know whether the water you drank — that your family drank — contained chemicals that weakened your body's immune system, increased your risk of cancer or caused infertility.

Three and a half million people in Pennsylvania, more than a quarter of all adults, rely on private wells as their primary source of drinking water — yet there is no statewide system for checking what is in that water. 

Pennsylvania is one of only two states (the other being New Jersey) without any regulations for private well construction, maintenance or water quality testing. 

A significant part of Erie County's population, especially in rural areas, rely on private wells for water.

Until recently, when federal funding for research, including my own grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), experienced cuts, my colleagues at Penn State and I spent three years sending sampling kits to residents throughout the Commonwealth helping private well owners test the quality of their water supply free of charge. 

We were particularly interested in testing for PFAS, or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — often referred to as forever chemicals.

Scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS can lead to decreased fertility and high blood pressure in pregnant women, developmental and physical delays in children, increased risk of certain cancers like prostate, kidney, and testicular cancer, weakening of the body's immune system to fight infections, increased risk of obesity and changes in how the body produces hormones.

Without our important work, 167 landowners across Pennsylvania would not have known whether their water was contaminated with PFAS.

 Our research revealed that 18% — or 30 out of 167 — of private wells we sampled exceeded maximum contaminant levels for drinking water set by the EPA. 

Overall, 65%, or 108 out of 167, of the private wells tested had detectable PFAS concentrations, with each of the 20 tested PFAS chemical compounds detected at least once. Several of the compounds were detected in nearly half of the wells. 

We published our findings in a recent issue of the Journal of Environmental Management.

Before recent cuts to our team's funding, we worked directly with private well owners. 

We were people they knew and trusted, who they could turn to when they were anxious about what was in their water but didn't know what to do. 

We analyzed their drinking water and compared results to the state and federal drinking water standards so that they were not left on their own to interpret the results and understand what it means for their health risks. 

But, most importantly, we provided practical, researched-backed solutions for how they could keep their families out of harm's way.

Recently, our funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was terminated early on the basis that the research no longer aligns with the agency's priorities. 

It is concerning that something as fundamental as private well water quality is not considered part of those priorities. 

Thankfully, this was after we were able to complete a significant amount of well testing. 

However, decisions like these severely limit the ability to monitor private wells in the future. 

Without federal funding, we lose the capacity to offer testing, interpret results and work with communities to help them understand and respond to water quality challenges.  

Our research allows us to not only provide free testing services but also provide clear, science-based guidance to our community partners.

 Now more than ever, we must invest in research that protects public health and ensures that clean drinking water is not a privilege but a right.

 If you care about this type of work, contact your local representative and ask them to support federal funding for research. 

The health of our community depends on it.

Kelly Kosiarski, Graduate Assistant in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Penn State University.  She can be contacted at: kzk5945@psu.edu. 

Resource Link:

-- Penn State: 18% Of Private Wells Sampled Have PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Levels Beyond Drinking Water Standards; July 2 PFAS Webinar  [PaEN] 

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[Posted: July 24, 2025]  PA Environment Digest