Penn State Extension to Provide No-Cost Drinking Water Testing for Lead and Other Pollutants in a Limited Number of Private Wells, Springs and Cisterns

Community Announcement

Have you ever had the drinking water from your well, spring or cistern tested for lead and other health-related pollutants?  If not, here is your chance.

Penn State Extension has received funding from the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide no-cost drinking water testing to a limited number of homeowners using private water wells, springs or cisterns in Luzerne County.  The testing is for private water supplies that are actively being used for drinking water in the household. Camps or seasonal households that are not continuously used are not eligible for this program. The commercial value of this water testing would be $100.

This testing is limited to the first 40 households using a private well, spring or cistern that register at  https://extension.psu.edu/safe-drinking-water-workshop

Once you register, you can pick up your drinking water test kit at the Luzerne County Extension office at 16 Luzerne Ave, Suite 200 West Pittston, PA 18643 starting on June 10. Instructions on how to collect the water sample are included in the kit.  Water tests kits will be collected at the Luzerne County Extension office on July 22 & August 8, 2019.

 

Individual water samples will be analyzed for numerous drinking water parameters including total coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, corrosivity, nitrate, arsenic, copper and lead.  Results of your testing will be available during two separate one-hour workshops to be held at 2:00 PM or 6:00 PM on August 27 at the Dallas Emergency Services Building, 3593 State Route 118 Dallas PA 18612. You will be asked to attend one of these workshops to get your water test results.  A brief presentation will also be given including professional interpretation of your results and information on how to solve drinking water problems.

Diagnose a Drinking Water Problem

Other Water Testing Products

1. City Water Users (lab test)
2. Well Water Users (lab test)
3. Home Screening Test