DCNR Announces Improvements To PA’s PaGWIS – Private Well Owner Database
DCNR Announces Improvements To PA’s PaGWIS
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) recently announced improvements to the PA Groundwater Information System (PaGWIS) private water well database. PaGWIS is a repository of half a million water well records dating back to 1965. Changes to the database include the addition of more than 1,600 springs found in the Commonwealth, and improved search tools, data packages, and report formats.
To find out more, please see the link below:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/news/DCNR_20032750.pdf
Get Your Water Tested
Your Drinking Water and Your Health
Your Drinking Water and Your Health by Brian Oram
Even though 60% of the human body is water, water is a resource that is often taken for granted. The primary concerns with water relate to having adequate quantity of the proper quality. In terms of hydration, drinking water is probably one of the best ways to keep your body healthy. Water is used in your body to help maintain your temperature and ensures the proper operation of your circulatory, digestive, and neurological systems. Water is one of the pathways that potential contaminants and disease causing agents can enter the body, so the quality is also important. Therefore, we need drinking water of adequate quantity of the proper quality.
When the body is not properly hydrated, our body’s response is to make us feel thirsty, but if you miss this clue watch out for dry mouth, swollen tongue, weakness, dizziness, confusion, palpitations, and fainting. If over hydrated, you can become water intoxicated or hyperhydration. If hyperhydration occurs, the kidneys can not process all the water and the system becomes overwhelmed. There are phone apps and other tools to help you to remember to drink enough water, but our general recommendation is if you feel thirsty it is time to get a drink and given a choice pick water.
Water comes in many forms, which can include premium bottled water, tap water, spring water, carbonated water, soda, coffee, tap water, nutrient infused water, juices, and purified water. Of all these, it is my professional opinion that we just need to drink water. The two most common sources of drinking water for a community is either public water or a private water source. A public water source is always regulated by both the federal and state governments and many may call this city water or tapwater, but well or spring water may be from a public or private source. If you get your water directly from a well or spring, this is a private source and this is not commonly regulated.
If you get your water from city water, the most common health concerns are related to the presence of chlorine-by-products or corrosive by-product in the United States, the public water supply systems are disinfected using various forms of chlorine and phosphate is added to attempt to control corrosion. The chlorine is used to disinfect the water, but it can react with naturally occurring organics to form trihalomethanes, i.e., a potential carcinogen; while phosphate will react with the metals in the water to form a scale or coating on the inside of the piping, see “Flint, Michigan”. If you are on well water, the most common problems are the presence of bacteria and elevated levels of salts in the water, like nitrate, chloride, and sulfate, or corrosive water. In some cases, the water may contain elevated levels of radionuclides and trace metals, like arsenic, iron, lead, and manganese. The quality of the drinking water depends on type of water, location, level of treatment, the condition of your plumbing, and your home or house. In some areas, the community is concerned about pipelines and natural gas development, but a hidden problem may be the existing quality of their drinking water.
For citizens, our general recommendations related to drinking water are:
1. City Water Customers- Review any annual “Consumer Confident Reports” produced by your water supplier and act accordingly.
2. Private Water Sources –Get your water tested, at least annually, and have the results review by an expert.
3. Look out for potential problems with your drinking water, based on what you can see, taste, smell, or otherwise detect with your senses or problems that may be caused by the water.
4. Download our free “Know Your H20 Phone App” or visit our website – all Free.
A few short phrases we should try to remember.
We ALL Live Downstream !
Groundwater and Surface water are Connected!
We are Part of the Water Cycle – Not just an Observer!
Websites of Interest
Consumer Confidence Reports
https://www.epa.gov/ccr/ccr-information-consumers
Neighborhood Hazardous Reports and Water Testing
http://www.knowyourh20.us
Nationwide Program: Community Environmental Report Your Home Health Status and Know Your H20?
Nationwide Program:
Community Environmental Report
Your Home Health Status and Know Your H20?
Direct Link to this Nationwide Program-
Visit Us at Keystone Clean Water Team
Know Your H20?
We Launched Two – New Phone Apps and they are Available for IOS and Android Platforms
- Know Your H20? – Know Your H2O? is an educational tool that can help you diagnose the problem with your water. This app will lead you through a series of questions to pinpoint the issues with your water. You can reach your diagnosis through describing symptoms that are effecting your home, your health, or the water itself. This App is linked to the Water Research Portal.
- Baseline Water Testing (Pennsylvania) – The PA Baseline Testing mobile app is an educational tool for residents of Pennsylvania who are impacted by Oil & Gas Development or Subsurface Coal Development. By selecting which factor impacts your region, you can discover various recommendations and tiers of water testing that can help bring you piece of mind about the safety of your drinking water. Got Data? You can also submit your own testing data and results to help continue to build the PA Clean Water Team’s database.
- New Online Water Quality Diagnostic Tool.
The Nationwide Program
- The program helps you to identify the existing and historic environmental hazards in your community.
- We are working with a national environmental database search company to offer a report to help you understand your home or your future homes environmental health status within a community.
- We are doing this by taking a snapshot of the current and historic environmental concerns and hazards in the community and a review of select criminal activity.
- Featured Activities or Issues: Old Landfills, Leaky Fuel Tanks, Hazardous Waste Sites, Department of Defense Facilities, Superfund Sites, Radiological Sources, Clandestine Drug Labs, Floodplains and Wetlands and more.
- Neighboorhood Hazard Reports cost $ 55.00 per property, payable to the Keystone Clean Water Team.
Questions – please contact us at (570) 335-1947 or email the program manager, Mr. Brian Oram, at bfenviro@ptd.net.
Keystone Clean Water Team – 501c3
15 Hillcrest Drive, Dallas, PA 18612
http://www.pacleanwater.org
B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc.
http://www.bfenvironmental.com
@KnowyourH20
AquiSense POU POE Treatment System with UV Disinfection Multiple Barriers
AquiSense can help provide families with the purest water available. The PearlAqua harnesses the power of ultraviolet (UV) light to destroy pathogens in the most natural way possible, without adding any harmful chemicals. The PearlAqua has been compactly designed to be a Point-of-Entry (POE) or Point-of-Use (POU) system. Physical filtration of the water is required before UV disinfection so a PearlAqua is a great addition to any existing water treatment system.
The PearlAqua was designed to work with any water treatment system so installation of the unit is easy and retrofitting is simple. Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems remove dissolved inorganic solids from water, but not organic materials or pathogens. This may lead to algae growing in the holding tank, but recirculating the water through a PearlAqua will prevent algae from ever growing. Traditional UV disinfection systems use a large amount of electricity and heat the water while they disinfect. These systems also use mercury gas-filled lamps to create their UV light. Mercury lamps are very fragile and release mercury into the water stream when they break.
The LEDs inside the PearlAqua last for 10,000 hours. A mercury lamp will have a similar lifespan, but a mercury lamp can only be turned off/on a few times per day. This limitation leads to the lamp remaining on, even when there is no water flow – hence annual replacement. The PearlAqua LED system can be turned on/off an infinite number of times per day, so the unit only runs when water is flowing through it, greatly extending the lamp replacement interval. For example, a PearlAqua unit that is on for 2 hours a day will only need a lamp replacement every 14 years!
The Units provide “The Home Concept“
1 .DC input power means solar power is possible
2. After hot water tank as pathogen barrier
3. Point of use legionella control
4. Disinfect rain water after storage
5. Post septic tank for environmental protection
6. Reuse grey water without concern of infection
7. RO/filter system final polishing and/or bio-film control
For more news and information – Go to News Page
A few steps
Step 1 – Get your water tested.
Step 2 – Get the water properly treated.
Dimock, PA – Court Case Status – March 1, 2016
The Dimock Court Case is live. The following are links to a number of articles about the case.
Federal trial begins in the case of Dimock’s water contamination
Dimock resident takes the stand against Cabot Oil and Gas
High-Profile Trial Begins in Dimock, PA Water Contamination Case
Source of Water Contamination at Issue
Ruling on Data – 300 exhibits not submitted -“because Lewis failed to notify Cabot’s attorneys she intended to present the evidence until a few weeks before the trial, which is a violation of court rules that govern when information must be disclosed to the opposing party”.
Dimock Trial Update: Plaintiffs’ Expert Witness Exposed as Fracktivist
Philly News – “Two Dimock Families” (March 4, 2016)
It would have been nice to see more reporters in the court room during the case – Here is why – Also – it is always critical to read past the headline.
From the preliminary information, it would seem the trial transcript will be interesting reading and may be a great educational tool and good for a course on ethics. This quote is interesting – is this a conflict of interest ? – “maintain objectivity and personal integrity,” he directed that his fee be paid to a nonprofit charity of his choice.”
Apparently, jurors like clean water -“It is obvious from their decision, however, that they believe their fellow citizens are entitled to clean water regardless of the legal or regulatory prerogatives of nearby industrial enterprises. ….. During the trial, Cabot also showed there was no proven physical connection underground between its gas wells and the water wells.”
Post Trial Motions and other Actions (Please Note this is a Cabot Page) , but it is worth reading. Again I am looking forward to reading the actual transcripts of the case because the quotes from the site are very interesting. If you are aware of a plaintiff website with their time line and info – please share so we can add a link. Document that indicates it was a summary of fact. (Again – if there is a plaintiff website with content – please share).
Just some thoughts
- It is critical to conduct proper baseline testing – new phone app describes this process – Know Your H20? “Baseline Testing“.
Carbon County Pennsylvania Groundwater Help to Hometown
The Keystone Clean Water Team has its roots in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. The organization is attempting to educate and inform private well owners about issues related to water quality. We were just recently contacted by someone in the Hometown Area that was having a problem. He called and discussed the issues which appeared series. we asked the person to email us with the details = but we have not received the information.
So – We decided to post this message !
1. If you called the Keystone Clean Water Team looking for help and spoke with Brian – please email us a cleanwater@carbonwaters.org. Please provide a full description of the problem and type of information you have available and your street mailing address.
2. If you are having a problem with your well water in Carbon County, PA- please provide us a description of the problem and your mailing address.
3. We do not have the funds to fix any problems, but we do have the opportunity to compile the problems and attempt to compare the problems to known historic environmental hazards in the area.
4. If you are outside of Carbon County, PA and are having a problem – we would be happy to review any data, but we would also suggest running a Neighborhood Environmental Hazard Report.
Everything we do began with an idea.
Keystone Clean Water Team is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Unsolicited donations are appreciated (Helps us complete our mission), but we also do local educational workshops and local cellphone/small electronic recycling programs. If you would like to set up a program to help recycle cellphones at an event, business, or other organization. Through our program we can recycle cell phones, iPods, game systems, and small digital cameras. If your interested, please contact us. Our new PSAs.
Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization). Water Science Basics!
For more information, please go to KCWT’s About Page or contact us. Follow us on Twitter
Groundwater Availability Analysis and Groundwater Quality Wayne County, Pennsylvania
The Wayne Tomorrow Action Committee invited the Keystone Clean Water Team to compile and develop a presentation on the general water quality, water availability, and some general recommendations related to groundwater resources in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The Keystone Clean Water Team had Mr. Brian Oram, a local water quality expert and professional geologist, review the information and conduct the presentation for the Keystone Clean Water Team. During the education session, the members of the Wayne Tomorrow Action Committee and the Sustainability Committee for Wayne Tomorrow was present. A copy of the presentation Wayne County Planning for Our Future is available. For this training event, the following sponsors were recognized:
BF. Environmental Consultants
Water Research Center
Quantum Laboratories
Key Topics:
1. Private Wells are not regulated in Pennsylvania and there are NO minimum construction standards.
2. About 50% of private wells in Pennsylvania appear to have at least one water quality problem and causes the water to NOT meet the PADEP Drinking Water Standards.
3. Common problem is the pH of the water is low and the water is corrosive. Corrosive water can increase the concentration of trace metals like copper/lead/zinc (plumbing and fixtures) and iron/manganese/aluminum/arsenic (aquifer).4. From the USGS Study – 97 % of private wells have radon over 300 pCi/L, 6 Percent have elevated arsenic, well water with a pH of over 7.8 may be associated with the presence of methane, arsenic, fluoride, sodium, bromide, lithium, boron, and chloride. (Speaker note: Well water with a pH of 8.0 or more may be influenced by naturally occurring saline water).
5. Analysis – The County could consider using the GIS System to conduct Groundwater Vulnerability Analysis, Availability Analysis, and Identify the location of historic or current hazards of concern.
6. In general, Wayne County can use a basic water budgeting analysis to evaluate project sustainability and if possible promote the use of on-site well and septic system with proper installation and maintenance. The example demonstrated how projects could be analyzed to determine the estimated development capacity of a project based on water availability.
7. The Organization or County can not allocate water – this is the role of the Delaware River Basin Commission.
8. Wayne County is appears that 35 to 45 % of rainfall contributes to baseflow for the region.
9. Advisable to develop a County or Local Agency – Well Construction Standard.
10. Educational Materials are Available for PA from the Keystone Clean Water Team. The Keystone Clean Water Team is a 501c3 and donations are appreciated.
Everything we do began with an idea.
We have offered “Free” Assistance to this effort, but if you are a private well owner that needs assistance we are happy to help.
We realize your time is precious and the world is hectic. CCGG’s volunteers do only what they’re comfortable with. It can be a little or a lot. Get YOUR WATER Tested – Discounted Screening Tests !
For more information, please go to CCGG’s About Page or contact us. Follow us on Twitter
Keystone Clean Water Team is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Unsolicited donations are appreciated (Helps us complete our mission), but we also do local educational workshops and local cellphone/small electronic recycling programs. If you would like to set up a program to help recycle cellphones at an event, business, or other organization. Through our program we can recycle cell phones, iPods, game systems, and small digital cameras. If your interested, please contact us. Our new PSAs.
Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization). Water Science Basics!
New PSA – Public Service Announcement Videos Pennsylvania Groundwater
The Keystone Clean Water Team would like to this opportunity to thank our current sponsors and supporters who aided in creating our first set of PSAs. It has been a great year. The first set of public service announcements can be found on the Organizations YouTube Site. The Videos are as follows:
1. Getting Your Water Tested Can Cost as Little As $ 50.00 – Only Costs $ 50.00
2. Hidden Contamination in Your Water – Looks Clear – It is Ok?
3. Got Coliform Bacteria – Do NOT Panic !
4. Water Testing – It is Easy! (Annual Water Quality Testing – Baseline Testing – Natural Gas)
5. We Could Use Some Help – Help Us Help You and Our Community !
Please share on social media, like and share our sites on facebook, and we do Tweet. Get our Educational Booklet.
Featured Product – Well Safe – Something Every Well Owner Should Have on the Shelf !
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Thanks
Sponsors – We can use some help!
Thank You to Our Current Sponsors and Supporters
Carbon County Environmental Education Center
Greg Sorber Well Drilling –204 Niemchik Rd, Hunlock Creek, PA 18621 · (570) 477-5393
RGA Public Relations
White Knight Productions Inc.
B.F. Environmental Consultants
Practical Law and Life
Groundwater Foundation – Groundwater Guardian Program