UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Extension will provide no-cost drinking water testing to a limited number of homeowners who use private water wells, springs or cisterns.
In Pennsylvania, more than one million homes and farms get their drinking water from a private source, according to Susan Boser, water resources extension educator.
“These homeowners are voluntarily responsible for testing and treating their own water,” she said. “About half of the private water systems fail at least one drinking water standard, but many pollutants have no obvious indicators. The only way to be certain that water is safe to drink is to have it tested by an accredited laboratory.”
The “Private Water Supply Education and Water Testing” webinars are for homeowners who own or rent a primary residence (no camps) that uses a private well, spring or cistern for drinking water. These webinars will be taking place now through July in 17 counties across Pennsylvania.
Registration currently is available in Beaver, Bedford, Bradford, Erie, Lancaster, Potter, Tioga, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland counties, with Mifflin, Cumberland, Franklin and Columbia counties to follow.
Registrants are required to attend a webinar to learn about the testing program. After attending the webinar, homeowners will qualify for a water testing kit. Each water supply will be tested by an accredited water testing laboratory for coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, pH, nitrate, manganese, arsenic, lead and copper.
Further instructions will be provided during the webinar. Optional follow-up webinars will be offered to provide an interpretation of results and to answer questions. More information, including dates and eligibility, is available at https://extension.psu.edu/
Support for these workshops is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Pennsylvania Groundwater Association, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
–Penn State Extension