Online survey to gauge opinions about Pennsylvania’s water resources
live.psu.edu/story/63898#nw69
Friday, January 25, 2013
Researchers want to learn more about what water issues are most important to residents.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Pennsylvanians can express their opinions about the state’s water resources by filling out a brief online survey conducted by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and several partner agencies.
Researchers are interested in learning what residents believe about the current status of the Keystone State’s water and how they think funding and other resources should be prioritized to best protect and manage water resources.
The objective is to collect opinions from thousands of Pennsylvania residents, according to Bryan Swistock, Penn State Extension water resources specialist, who is coordinating the research.
He noted that the informal survey is intended as a public engagement project and does not necessarily represent a statistical sampling of opinions.
The five-minute survey can be completed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PaWater.
“This is your chance to be heard on the value and importance of water resources in Pennsylvania,” Swistock said. “We really need to learn more about what water resources issues are most important to the people of Pennsylvania so we can provide this information to both policymakers and those who fund water resources research.”
The survey, which will close Feb. 28, is open to Pennsylvania residents who are at least 18 years of age. A summary of results will be published this spring on the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center website, http://www.pawatercenter.psu.edu.
This survey is funded by the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center and Sea Grant Pennsylvania in partnership with Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania American Water Resources Association.
Other Surveys
PA Residents – Marcellus Shale Concerns
Well Owners from Other States – Concerns Related to Shale Development
REMINDER – Pennsylvania Private Well Owner Drinking Water webinar January 30 on baseline water testing for gas drilling
Bryan Swistock <brs@psu.edu>
The next webinar in our Water Resources series will be Wednesday, January 30, 2013 from noon to 1 PM (EST). More details below. Hope you can join us!
When: Wednesday January 30, 2013 from noon to 1 PM
Topic: A Study of Pre-Drilling Groundwater Quality in 700 Water Wells and Springs in North Central Pennsylvania
Speaker: Jim Clark, Water Resources Extension Educator, Penn State Extension, McKean County
Where: The live webinar can be viewed at https://meeting.psu.edu/water1
Webinar Description:
Jim Clark, a Penn State Extension Water Resources Extension Educator based in McKean County, PA, will discuss the results of a study of approximately 700 private drinking water supplies covering eight counties in North Central Pennsylvania. Clark has been a Penn State Extension Educator for 24 years and has completed private water supply testing projects in McKean County in 2006 and Cameron County in 2011. This current water testing effort was administered by the Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Clearfield County Conservation District. A grant from the Colcum Foundation funded the project. The Penn State Extension Water Resources Team partnered to offer a Water Test Report Interpretation Workshop in each of the eight participating counties and offered individual consultations for many of the private water supply owners who participated in the study. The combined workshop evaluation results and the results for the 21 parameters tested on the private water supplies will be shared and discussed.
About the Presenter:
Jim Clark is a native of Elmira, New York. He holds an Associate Degree in Animal Husbandry from Alfred State College and a Bachelor of Science and Masters in Arts and Teaching from Cornell University. He has been an Extension Educator with Penn State Extension since July of 1989, based in McKean County, Pennsylvania. He is Co Chair of the Penn State Water Resources Team.”
How to Participate
The live webinar will occur from noon to 1 PM and is accessible at: https://meeting.psu.edu/water1
You can access this webinar simply by signing in as a “guest”.
Taped versions of each webinar in the series are available at: http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series/past-webinars
If you have not registered for past water webinars, please visit the following website to register so we can keep you updated about future webinar offerings: http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series/schedule/registration.
If this will be your first webinar, you may want to test your
computer and internet connection for compatibility at:
https://meeting.psu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm
Additional Upcoming Webinars
Additional webinars on various water resources topics will be offered each month – generally on the last Wednesday of the month. A full schedule of webinars for the next 12 months can be found at: http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series/schedule.
The February webinar will be offered on 2/27/13 at noon on Innovations in Youth Water Education by Jennifer Fetter, Water Resources Educator, Penn State Extension, Dauphin County.
Please pass this along to anyone that might be interested in attending these webinars.
Other Training and Presentations on Common Water Quality Problems and baseline water testing.
Online Class for Homeowners with Private Wells
The Private Well Class is a free online service, grant-funded to educate homeowners about their private wells.
The Rural Community Assistance Partnership has received a grant from the USEPA to develop a free, online class for homeowners with private wells. We ask that you help promote the class with well owners and those that serve them in your region. If your organization has little contact with private well owners, please feel free to pass this information along to others who might be interested.
The class is set up to be self-help over 10 weeks, with materials emailed once a week to participants. Well owners can sign up anytime, and though the first week was sent on Jan 2, 2013, anyone signing up after that will start as soon as they sign up. So, someone just finding out about this in April can sign up and start the class then. There are three webinars that will provide well owners a chance to reinforce what they are seeing in the class material and ask questions of the presenters. Each webinar will be repeated every three months through August 2013, so no matter when someone starts the class, they will be able to see all three at least once.
Please take a look at the materials attached, visit the website [ http://www.privatewellclass.org/ ] and we encourage you to sign up as a partner. Partners will receive an email when a new webinar date is announced, or when additional information is added to the website. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Cassia Smith
cassiars@illinois.edu
217-333-8700
other
privatewellclass.net
PA Groundwater Online Survey
National Groundwater Issues Online Survey
For Local Case Studies on Groundwater Quality
More Videos on Groundwater Education
EPA recommends radon testing in January
Protect your family from the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.
[amazon_link asins=’B000CEAY64′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’webdespro-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=”]
PHILADELPHIA (January 8, 2013) – January is national Radon Action Month and the
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency encourages everyone to test their homes for radon. January is an especially good time to test homes and schools because windows and doors are closed tightly and people spend more time indoors.
Unsafe levels of radon can lead to serious illness. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States with an estimated 21,000 deaths a year. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. By making simple fixes in a home or building people can lower their health risks from radon.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas; so testing is the only way to know if radon is present in your home or school. Test kits are available in home improvement centers and hardware stores and costs approximately $20. The kits are simple to use with easy testing and mailing instructions.
Make the commitment to protect your family. Test for radon in air / water . Fix the problem if you find elevated radon levels. Save a life!
For more information about radon and radon testing see: http://www.epa.gov/radon/
Radon and other air/water testing kits
Website Provided for Educational Purpose.
Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
More Educational Materials Private Well Owner Outreach on Radon
Penn State Master Well Owner Network looking for new volunteers for winter online course
Note – Have a Water Quality Questions – Ask Us Or Visit the Drinking Water Help Guide
Bryan Swistock [ brs@psu.edu ]
MWON is taking applications for our winter online course which will start on February 11, 2013. Space is limited to 20 new volunteers
Applications Being Accepted for Next Master Well Owner Course
Pennsylvania is home to over one million private water wells and springs but it is one of the few states that do not provide statewide regulations to protect these rural drinking water supplies. In 2004, Penn State Cooperative Extension and several partner agencies created the Master Well Owner Network (MWON), a group of trained volunteers who are dedicated to promoting the proper construction, testing, and maintenance of private water wells, springs and cisterns throughout Pennsylvania. Since its inception, hundreds of MWON volunteers have attended Saturday training workshops to learn about proper water supply management practices. Starting on February 11, 2013, this same training will be available entirely online.
Prospective volunteers need to submit an application and be accepted into the program. Applications will be limited to about 15 eligible volunteers. Once accepted, each volunteer will receive seven weekly emails with links to short reading assignments and video presentations. Participants in online training will largely be able to determine their own training schedule. One optional online meeting will be offered in March to help answer questions (attendance at this optional meeting this will require a computer with high speed connection and speakers).
Volunteers who successfully complete the training course and pass a short exam will receive a free copy of the 80 page publication – A Guide to Private Water Systems in Pennsylvania and access to various MWON educational materials. In return, MWON volunteers are asked to pass along what they have learned to other private water supply owners and submit an annual report of their educational accomplishments. To learn more and complete an application, visit the following website: http://extension.psu.edu/water/mwon/volunteer/online-mwon-volunteer-training
Here are a few comments from volunteers who recently completed the online course:
• I believe people buying homes or properties with wells located on them should have this information prior to purchase. The problem is not many people are aware of the information that is available. Hopefully this course helps correct the problem.
• Excellent opportunity, especially in light of the drilling operations surrounding Marcellus well development activities throughout the state and in the area where I live.
• Very Useful information. The presentation format via adobe connect was very easy to work with.
For Water Testing Go to Private Well Water Testing Program
New Booklet – PA Guide To Drinking Water – What Do the Numbers Mean?
Free Information at Private Well Owner Outreach and the Water Research Library.
Website Provided for Educational Purpose.
Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Winter 2013 Master Well Owner Network newsletter
This issue includes articles on:
• MWON Making a Difference – Annual Accomplishments for 2012
• EPA Progress Report on Hydraulic Fracturing
• 2013 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium
• Opportunities for New Volunteer Training
• Upcoming Penn State Webinars on Private Water Supplies
• MWON to Remove “Inactive” Volunteers in January
• Take the PA Water Survey!
• A Sampling of Upcoming Events
Please share with anyone that might be interested.
iPhone and Android Apps to Collect Precipitation Reports from the Public
NSSL Launches iPhone and Android Apps to Collect Precipitation Reports from the Public.
The NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), in partnership with the University of Oklahoma, has launched an app where users can anonymously report precipitation from their iPhone or Android through the “mobile Precipitation Identification Near the Ground “mPING” app. NSSL researchers will compare the reports with what radars detect and use the information to develop new radar and forecasting technologies and techniques to determine whether snow, rain, ice pellets, mixtures or hail is falling. NSSL hopes to build a valuable database of tens of thousands of observations from across the U.S.
The apps are available on iTunes or Google Play for use on both phones
and tablets.
The reports can be viewed here in real-time:
http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/projects/ping/display/
Lab’s main PING page: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/projects/ping/
Link for iTunes app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mping/id584383400?mt=8
Link for Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.ou.cimms.wping&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImVkdS5vdS5jaW1tcy53cGluZyJd
Rural road program aims to keep dirty runoff out of streams amid drilling boom
citizensvoice.com/news/rural-road-program-aims-to-keep-dirty-runoff-out-of-streams-amid-drilling-boom-1.1408078
By Laura Legere (staff writer)
Published: November 25, 2012
DIMOCK TWP. – Everywhere Tim Ziegler travels dirt tracks and gravel roads in rural Pennsylvania, he sees an insidious threat of pollution beneath his tires.
Sediment is the largest pollutant by volume in the commonwealth’s streams, degrading water quality, smothering natural vegetation and destroying fish habitat.
Worn dirt roads and their ditches are a potent source of grit and Pennsylvania has more than 20,000 miles of them.
Ziegler has driven many of those stretches, spreading the gospel of drainage. He works for the Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies at Penn State University, which helps townships, companies and other agencies build and maintain unpaved roads in an environmentally protective way. Its toll-free number is 1-866-NO-TO-MUD.
The highest density of dirt roads in the state coincides with the richest spots for Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling and Ziegler’s work in recent years has focused on that intersection.
Shale development presents both a challenge and an opportunity for rural road infrastructure: Heavy haulers rut the roads, but posted and bonded thoroughfares have to be returned to their prior condition and companies routinely strengthen the roads before they run trucks on them or improve them beyond their previous state.
The Marcellus Shale Coalition calculated that its member companies spent more than $411 million on road construction in Pennsylvania between 2008 and the middle of 2011.
The problem, Ziegler said, is that much of the companies’ attention and money has been spent reinforcing the roads’ surface while leaving the old drainage infrastructure in place. The hardened, widened roads increase the amount of runoff during rainstorms, exacerbating existing sediment pollution pathways and adding to the likelihood and severity of flash flooding in nearby streams.
“There’s an opportunity that we’re losing here,” he said.
During a recent field trip to a reinforced stretch of road in Susquehanna County, he demonstrated that roads built without protective drainage in mind are also less likely to last.
Like many Pennsylvania gravel roads renovated to withstand thousands of drilling-related truck trips, Hunter Road in Dimmock Township is not strictly gravel anymore. The surface has been solidified with cement.
But the improvements constructed in 2010 are already starting to show wear. A jagged rut snakes under one tire track, a washed-out pile of the new road material threatens to clog a stream pipe that steers a small tributary under the road, and the rush of stormwater where one ditch intercepts another has undermined the road base, leaving the concrete jutting a foot or more over open air.
At the valley intersection of three steep roads, more than a mile of road surface plus half of a gas well pad drains to one small stream.
That system, and its impacts, are only associated with one pad among the thousands built or planned in the state, Ziegler said.
“We’ve got to look at how we’re going to handle this with such an intensive, widespread development across the rural landscape.”
Many solutions are known and affordable, especially for companies already investing in road-repair projects.
Roads should be constructed with several drainage cross pipes and diversion points to interrupt sheets of water and disperse the flow in a way that more closely mimics nature, he said.
Together, the improvements “cut one big watershed” – the uninterrupted ditch – “into lots of little watersheds.”
The center has cooperated with several companies, including Range Resources, Enerplus and Carrizo Oil and Gas among others, to offer tips and suggestions on proper drainage infrastructure.
But Ziegler looks at the effort and money invested in already-cracking Hunter Road and sees much room for improvement.
“It’s just a matter of looking at things a little differently,” he said.
llegere@timesshamrock.com
How Does Groundwater Pumping Affect Streamflow?
www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3458&from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usgs%2FWater+(Newsroom+-+Water+Releases)#.UKecVYXbaWU
Released: 11/16/2012
New USGS Report Describes Processes and Misconceptions Concerning the Effects of Groundwater Pumping on Streamflow
Groundwater provides drinking water for millions of Americans and is the primary source of water to irrigate cropland in many of the nations most productive agricultural settings. Although the benefits of groundwater development are many, groundwater pumping can reduce the flow of water in connected streams and rivers—a process called streamflow depletion by wells. The USGS has released a new report that summarizes the body of knowledge on streamflow depletion, highlights common misconceptions, and presents new concepts to help water managers and others understand the effects of groundwater pumping on surface water.
“Groundwater discharge is a critical part of flow in most streams–and the more we pump below the ground, the more we deplete water flowing down the stream,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “When viewed over the long term, it is one big zero-sum game.”
Groundwater and surface-water systems are connected, and groundwater discharge is often a substantial component of the total flow of a stream. In many areas of the country, pumping wells capture groundwater that would otherwise discharge to connected streams, rivers, and other surface-water bodies. Groundwater pumping can also draw streamflow into connected aquifers where pumping rates are relatively large or where the locations of pumping are relatively close to a stream.
“Streamflow depletion caused by pumping is an important water-resource management issue across the nation because of the adverse effects that reduced flows can have on aquatic ecosystems, the availability of surface water, and the quality and aesthetic value of streams and rivers,” said Paul Barlow, USGS hydrologist and author on the report. “Managing the effects of streamflow depletion by wells is challenging, particularly because of the significant time delays that often occur between when pumping begins and when the effects of that pumping are realized in nearby streams. This report will help managers understand the many factors that control the timing, rates, and locations of streamflow depletion caused by pumping.”
Major conclusions from the report:
• Individual wells may have little effect on streamflow depletion, but small effects of many wells pumping within a basin can combine to produce substantial effects on streamflow and aquatic habitats.
• Basinwide groundwater development typically occurs over a period of several decades, and the resulting cumulative effects on streamflow depletion may not be fully realized for years.
• Streamflow depletion continues for some time after pumping stops because it takes time for a groundwater system to recover from the previous pumping stress. In some aquifers, maximum rates of streamflow depletion may occur long after pumping stops, and full recovery of the groundwater system may take decades to centuries.
• Streamflow depletion can affect water quality in the stream or in the aquifer. For example, in many areas, groundwater discharge cools stream temperatures in the summer and warms stream temperatures in the winter, providing a suitable year-round habitat for fish. Reductions in groundwater discharge to streams caused by pumping can degrade habitat by warming stream temperatures during the summer and cooling stream temperatures during the winter.
• The major factors that affect the timing of streamflow depletion are the distance from the well to the stream and the properties and geologic structure of the aquifer.
• Sustainable rates of groundwater pumping near streams do not depend on the rates at which groundwater systems are naturally replenished (or recharged), but on the total flow rates of the streams and the amount of reduced streamflow that a community or regulatory authority is willing to accept.
“Conjunctive management of groundwater and surface-water resources is critical in New Mexico, where our limited surface-water supplies can be impacted by new uses that are predominantly dependent on groundwater pumping,” said Mike Johnson, Chief of the Hydrology Bureau in the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. “This new USGS publication consolidates our understanding of the connection between aquifers and streams and provides a clear, thorough and up-to-date explanation of the tools and techniques used to evaluate streamflow depletion by wells. This report will be very useful to New Mexico’s water managers in guiding technical analysis, dispelling common misconceptions, and explaining these complex concepts to decision makers and the public.”
The report, which is a product of the USGS Groundwater Resources Program, is titled “Streamflow Depletion by Wells—Understanding and Managing the Effects of Groundwater Pumping on Streamflow” and is available in print and online. [ http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1376/ ]
The Groundwater Resources Program provides objective scientific information and develops the interdisciplinary understanding necessary to assess and quantify the availability of the nation’s groundwater resources. The Program has been instrumental in documenting groundwater declines and in developing groundwater-flow models for use in sustainably managing withdrawals. The research and understanding developed through this program can provide water-resource managers with the tools and information needed to manage this important natural resource.
Contact Information:
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Office of Communications and Publishing
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, MS 119
Reston, VA 20192
Paul Barlow
Phone: 508-490-5070
pbarlow@usgs.gov
Kara Capelli
Phone: 571-420-9408
kcapelli@usgs.gov
In wake of Hurricane Sandy, disinfect contaminated wells
live.psu.edu/story/62416#nw69
Monday, November 5, 2012
Where flooding has occurred, well owners should disinfect their water supplies by circulating a bleach solution through the well, said Bryan Swistock, water resources extension associate at Penn State.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As the Northeast begins the recovery process in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a water-quality specialist in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is urging those who rely on private water supplies to guard against possible flood contamination of their wells.
In areas where flooding occurred, well owners should disinfect these water supplies before drinking water from them, according to Bryan Swistock, water resources extension associate.
“Hundreds if not thousands of water wells may have been flooded or affected by runoff from this storm,” said Swistock. “In addition to seeing flood water around their wells or springs, homeowners also might notice increased sediment in their water. Even after this goes away, bacteria still may contaminate the water supply.”
Swistock noted that a simple coliform bacteria test from a water-testing lab can determine if the water supply is safe to use or if disinfection is needed. “If residents suspect that their wells may be contaminated, they should contact their local or state health department for specific advice on disinfecting them,” he said.
Swistock said local well drillers and contractors should be contacted to inspect well components, and he urged residents to follow the suggestions below — found on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/privatewells/whatdo.html — for dealing with a water well that likely was flooded:
— Well and pump inspection: If flood conditions are known to have occurred or are suspected at a well, the well and pump should be inspected. Swiftly moving flood water can carry large debris that could loosen well hardware, dislodge well construction materials or distort the casing. Coarse sediment in the flood waters could erode pump components. If the well is not tightly capped, sediment and flood water could enter the well and contaminate it. Floods also may cause some wells to collapse.
— Check the electrical system. After flood waters have receded and the pump and electrical system have dried, do not turn on the equipment until the wiring system has been checked by a qualified electrician, well contractor or pump contractor. If the pump’s control box was submerged during the flood, all electrical components must be dry before electrical service can be restored. Get assistance in turning the pump on from a well or pump contractor.
— Monitor pump operation. All pumps and their electrical components can be damaged by sediment and flood water. The pump, including the valves and gears, will need to be cleaned of silt and sand. If pumps are not cleaned and lubricated properly, they can burn out. Get assistance from a well or pump contractor, who will be able to clean, repair and maintain different types of pumps.
— Emergency disinfection of wells that have been flooded. Before disinfection, check the condition of the well. Make sure there is no exposed or damaged wiring. If you notice any damage, call a professional before the disinfection process. Materials needed include at least a gallon of nonscented household liquid bleach, rubber gloves, eye protection, old clothes and a funnel.
To disinfect, follow these steps:
— If the water is muddy or cloudy, use a hose to run the water from an outside spigot until the water becomes clear and free of sediment.
— Determine what type of well you have and how to pour the bleach into the well. Some wells have a sanitary seal with either an air vent or a plug that can be removed. If it is a bored or dug well, the entire cover can be lifted off to provide a space for pouring the bleach into the well.
— Mix a gallon of bleach with a few gallons of water. Carefully pour the bleach mixture down into the well casing, using a funnel if needed.
— After the bleach has been added, run water from an outside hose into the well casing until you smell chlorine coming from the hose, then turn off the outside hose. If chlorine odor never develops at the faucet, you may need to add more bleach to the well.
— Turn on all cold water faucets, inside and outside of the house, until the chlorine odor is detected in each faucet, then shut them all off. If you have a water treatment system, switch it to bypass before turning on the indoor faucets.
— Wait six to 24 hours before turning the faucets back on. It is important not to use this water for drinking, cooking, bathing or washing during that time period — it contains high amounts of chlorine.
— Once the waiting period is up, turn on an outside spigot with hose attached and run the water into a safe area where it will not disturb plants, lakes, streams or septic tanks. Run the water until there is no longer a chlorine odor. Turn the water off.
The system now should be disinfected, and you can use the water. However, the water should not be used for drinking until a bacteria test indicates that the disinfection procedure was effective. Have the water tested for bacteria seven to 10 days after disinfection.
To assist owners of private water supplies in the Berks County (Pa.) area, Penn State Extension will offer a Safe Drinking Water Clinic on Nov. 7 at the Berks County Agricultural Center, 1238 County Welfare Road, Leesport. The clinic will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. and will be repeated from 6 to 8 p.m.
Attendees will learn about proper location, construction, testing, maintenance, protection and treatment of private drinking water supplies. The $10 per person/household registration fee will include testing of one water sample for pH, total dissolved solids, nitrate, total coliform bacteria and E. coli bacteria. To learn more or register for the clinic, visit the Web at http://psu.ag/RsWL0N online.
For more information on flooded-well safety, download the free Penn State fact sheet, “Shock Chlorination of Wells and Springs,” at http://psu.ag/RujwBe online.