Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- April 7, 2009
Study of Pennsylvania's private wells reveals drinking-water issues (:48)
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Suggested Intro:
A TWO-YEAR STATEWIDE STUDY OF PRIVATE WELLS IN PENNSYLVANIA HAS REVEALED SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE STATE'S WELL WATER, ACCORDING TO AN EXPERT IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES. GARY ABDULLAH HAS THE STORY:
Story:
(:20) MORE THAN THREE MILLION PENNSYLVANIANS COUNT ON PRIVATE WELLS FOR THEIR ESSENTIAL DRINKING WATER. THE SURVEY REVEALS THAT 40 PERCENT OF THE WELLS TESTED FAILED TO MEET AT LEAST ONE STATE SAFE-DRINKING-WATER STANDARD. PENN STATE WATER RESOURCES EXTENSION SPECIALIST BRYAN SWISTOCK SAYS BECAUSE SOME COMMON POLLUTANTS DON'T HAVE A BAD TASTE OR ODOR, MOST OF THE PEOPLE WITH CONTAMINATED WELLS DON'T KNOW THEIR WATER HAS PROBLEMS:
Swistock Actuality:
(:18) "THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO GET THEIR WATER TESTED THROUGH A STATE-CERTIFIED TESTING LABORATORY. ONE OF THE BIGGEST HURDLES TO OVERCOME IS TO GET PEOPLE TO TEST FOR SOME OF THESE PARAMETERS THAT ARE NOT APPARENT IN WATER -- THERE'S NO SYMPTOMS, SO PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT THEM AND DON'T KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO TEST THEIR WATER TO DETECT THESE THINGS."(:10) SWISTOCK SAYS IF THE STATE PASSED A LAW ESTABLISHING MINIMUM WELL-CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS, THAT COULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN REDUCING CONTAMINATION. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.
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