In the wake of proposed cuts in the state budget for water quality and safety, Penn State Cooperative Extension—using its Master Well Owner Network volunteers—has undertaken a statewide study of private water supplies.

The study is funded by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Institute.

' Because we are using Master Well Owner volunteers trained through cooperative extension, we can do this research project for a greatly reduced cost,” says Bryan Swistock, extension water resources specialist who is overseeing the study. “There has been much debate about the cause of high contamination rates among private water systems in the state. The state’s lack of regulations about well location and construction has been a focal point of this debate.”

More than 3 million rural Pennsylvanians rely on private wells and springs for drinking water, but studies have shown that the majority of these supplies fail at least one drinking water
standard. The widespread use of drinking water that contains pollutants in excess of standards represents an economic problem and a health threat to the rural population.

About 100 trained Master Well Owner Network volunteers are taking part in the study, collecting water samples from 450 wells across the state. The samples will be analyzed by the water laboratory at the Penn State Institutes of the Environment using Environmental Protection Agency–approved methodology for total coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, nitrate, lead, arsenic, pH, and triazine pesticides.

In addition, the volunteer researchers complete an extensive survey form for each water supply tested to determine the type of well, type of well cap, presence of grout, approximate age and yield, presence and type of watertreatment equipment, presence of visible casing, and ground slope around the water supply.

Potential sources of contamination around the water supply, including septic systems, are identifi ed and the distance noted. Information on septic system age and maintenance also is gathered from the homeowner. Survey data will be compared with water quality results to determine any relationships between water supply construction, location, and pollutants.

“ The network of trained Master Well Owner volunteers represents a unique opportunity to gather important data about private water systems throughout the state and effectively disseminate research fi ndings to homeowners that utilize these water supplies,” Swistock says.

The lack of regulation of private water systems has made education critical for rural homeowners, extension specialists believe. In 2004, Penn State Cooperative Extension received federal funding to create the Master Well Owner Network in an attempt to educate private water system owners. As part of this program, more than 260 volunteers in 60 counties have attended an eight-hour workshop on proper management of private water supplies. These volunteers have, in turn, educated more than 8,000 private water system owners throughout the state.

Pennsylvania is one of only a few states that does not have standards for proper construction and location of private water wells or stringent certification of well drillers, Swistock points out. There also are no statewide requirements for septic system maintenance. “Some states also require extensive testing of private water systems as part of real estate transactions,” he says. “In order to evaluate the potential role of similar regulations in Pennsylvania, a comprehensive statewide study is needed to determine the prevalence of health-related contaminants in private water systems and what activities and management strategies affect contamination.

“ The results of this study will help to determine whether well and/or septic system construction and maintenance regulations or routine testing of private water systems during real estate transactions would be helpful in reducing contamination and health risks to rural homeowners,” says Swistock. “ Also, the results may shed some light on the importance of routine maintenance of private water systems and septic systems in preventing contamination. Such information would be valuable for Master Well Owner Network volunteers and cooperative extension to educate homeowners about protection and management of private water systems.”

— Jeff Mulhollem