UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- With the worsening drought causing wells to go dry across the state, a water resources extension specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences recommends that well owners use the Internet to keep tabs on groundwater levels.

"Droughts such as the one we are now experiencing can be especially stressful for the 3 million rural residents who rely on private wells," says Bryan Swistock. "These individual wells tap groundwater aquifers that cannot be easily seen or monitored. For folks relying on wells, the invisible nature of groundwater leads to an uneasy feeling that their water supply could dry up without warning."

Direct determination of the groundwater level in a well is difficult and usually requires the use of an expensive device called a water level meter. But Swistock says there are other less direct but more practical methods to determine the status of a well water supply.

"In recent years," he says, "the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed a Web-based system to access water levels from a group of monitoring wells around Pennsylvania. The USGS currently measures water levels in 67 wells in nearly every county in the state. The agency has developed a Web page that allows viewers to see water levels over the past two years in 40 of the wells."

In addition to the actual water levels, the site (http://pa.water.usgs.gov/durplots/well_duration.html) shows shaded areas to illustrate the normal groundwater levels as well as drought watch, warning and emergency levels.

"This information, while not specific to an individual's private well, will allow him or her to observe the general trend in groundwater levels in the area," Swistock says.

There are other resources on the Internet, Swistock points out, that include information on drought, water supplies, water conservation and private well management.

--U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov). Publications on water quality, private wells and conservation.

--The Penn State Water Quality Extension Web page (http://wqext.psu.edu). Has fact sheets and other publications related to private water systems.

--The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Drought Information Center (http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/subject/hotopics/drought/). Offers drought statistics, regulations, news updates and water conservation ideas.

--Pennsylvania Water Watch (http://pasc.met.psu.edu/PA_climatologist/PAH20/PAH20.html). Has maps and other graphics of the drought status in Pennsylvania.

--The Middle Atlantic River Forecasting Center (http://crab.met.psu.edu/). Includes graphs and tables of precipitation, stream flow and other drought indicators.

--U.S. Geologic Survey (http://wwwpah2o.er.usgs.gov/). Has many publications and access to stream flow and groundwater data for Pennsylvania.

Swistock offers these suggestions to save water:

--Replacing an old toilet with a new 1.6 gallon-per-flush model could save a typical household from 7,900 to 21,700 gallons of water per year;

--Placing a plastic jug filled with water or small rocks in older toilet tanks can cut down on the amount of water needed for each flush and save more than 1,000 gallons per year;

--Repairing dripping faucets and leaking toilets (flapper valves are usually the cause) can save more than 10 gallons of water per person per day. A faucet dripping at one drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons per year;

--Wash clothes and dishes only when you have a full load. When replacing an older machine, consider high-efficiency models, which use an average of 30 percent less water and 40 percent to 50 percent less energy, saving about nine gallons per washing machine cycle and 7.5 gallons per dishwasher cycle;

--Installing a water-efficient showerhead can save one to 7.5 gallons per minute. Taking a quick shower can save an average of 20 gallons of water.

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EDITORS: Contact Bryan Swistock at 814-863-0194 or e-mail brs@psu.edu.

Contact:

Jeff Mulhollem jjm29@psu.edu 814-863-2719 814-865-1068 fax