Protecting Clean Water Together: Looks Okay, Smells Okay, But Is It Okay?

By Carol Hillestad for Brodhead Watershed Association

One of the first hikes I led in the Poconos was a summer ramble at the Nothstein Preserve in Paradise Township in Monroe County. 

We came to a particularly beautiful stretch of the Cranberry Creek. The group stopped spontaneously, transfixed by the cold, crystalline water splashing and bubbling over rocks as it raced downstream. 

The water looked so clean, so pure, so refreshing. A hiker asked if you could drink from it. I replied that I often had. 

A voice rose from the back of the group, a friend who was much more experienced in the woods than I was. He said, “but what if there’s a dead deer in the creek upstream?”

Ouch.  

My friend went on, talking about the nasties that can lurk in water that looks and smells perfectly okay. Giardia and cryptosporidium from animal waste. Salmonella and botulism toxins from decaying carcasses.

Ick.

I was chastened. And grateful. Lesson learned: you can’t be too careful about drinking water. 

People who live in larger towns in our area, such as Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono, get their water from large public water authorities. Some private communities also provide water from a central source. 

These water systems are required to meet public water quality standards. 

The rest of us have our own, private wells. For new homeowners who move here from cities, it can come as a shock that they, themselves, are responsible if their drinking water is cloudy, or smells funny, or has sediment. 

If you have obvious problems like that, get help right away. Your plumber is a good place to start. 

But water that looks and smells fine still needs to be tested for hidden problems-- experts recommend you test your well water once a year for bacteria. 

You can pick up a home testing kit at Penn State Extension, 724 Phillips Street in Stroudsburg, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. 

The kit itself is free and includes everything you need to know. Basic testing for bacteria is $60, plus the cost of overnight shipping to State College for the actual testing. 

You’ll get a report that will tell you what, if anything, needs attention-- and if everything’s fine, you’ll get some peace of mind every time you turn on the tap.

Visit the Penn State Extension Private Water Well Testing to learn more.

Visit the Brodhead Watershed Association Private Wells webpage for more information.

The Brodhead Watershed Association works tirelessly in Monroe County to protect water quality and quantity throughout our area. 

Related Article This Week - Brodhead Watershed:

-- Broadhead Watershed Association: Keeping The Delaware River Wild - By Carol Hillestad for Brodhead Watershed Association  [PaEN]

[Posted: October 27, 2026]  PA Environment Digest