Wednesday, January 11, 2012
A Penn State Extension water specialist told a House committee on Jan. 10 that research has shown that about 40 percent of all water wells in the state fail to meet at least one safe-drinking-water standard. Bryan Swistock, senior water resources extension associate at Penn State, testified before the House Consumer Affairs Committee in a hearing on House Bill 1855, which would create standards for water-well construction. Pennsylvania is currently one of just a few states that do not have statewide requirements for the construction of private water wells. (more)
Friday, March 18, 2011
Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is seeking owners of private drinking-water wells near completed natural-gas wells in the Marcellus shale region to participate in a study of the impact of gas development. (more)
Monday, June 21, 2010
The recent eruption of a Marcellus shale gas well in Clearfield County, Pa., has triggered investigations by state agencies. A Penn State Cooperative Extension water specialist said it also should remind Pennsylvanians that drilling can impact surrounding water resources, and well owners near any drill sites should take steps to monitor their drinking water. (more)
Friday, April 23, 2010
Public water systems are required by law to protect customers and regularly test for impurities. But in Pennsylvania, 3.5 million residents are served by private water systems, such as wells, springs and cisterns, and they have no such legal oversight. "If you own your own private supply, it's all your own responsibility to provide clean water to yourself, the people in your family and the people who come to visit," said Peter Wulfhorst, educator with Penn State Cooperative Extension in Pike County. Wulfhorst will be the featured speaker in the next Penn State Extension Water Webinar, titled "Safe Drinking Water Clinic," which will air at noon and again at 7 p.m. on April 28. (more)
Friday, February 13, 2009
A two-year, statewide study of private water wells by Penn State Cooperative Extension has revealed both good news and bad news about much of the state's drinking water. First the positives: The levels of lead and nitrates in wells seem to have fallen sharply in the last 25 years, and well owners are generally happy with their water supplies. The negatives? Forty percent of the more than 700 wells tested failed to meet the state's safe-drinking-water standards for at least one contaminant. And most of the people with contaminated wells were unaware that they had a problem. (more)
