In February and May, Bucks residents who rely on a private well, spring or cistern for their drinking water attended drinking water clinics and received free, basic water testing and education during a two-hour workshop.

Penn State Extension along with the Master Well Owner Network, the Department of Environmental Protection and PA Groundwater Association sponsored the workshops.

The presenters were Bryan Swistock and Diane Oleson, Penn State Extension Associates and the workshops were conducted at the Penn State Extension office in Doylestown.

The clinics provided education on the proper location, construction, testing, maintenance, protection and treatment of private drinking water wells, springs and cisterns. 

Participants submitted a sample of their drinking water for on-site water testing for several basic water quality parameters including coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, pH, total dissolved solids, and nitrate. All tests except bacteria were done during the two hour clinic so participants could discuss their results with the water specialists.

The water testing results were solely intended for the education of the homeowner since the water test kits on-site only provided basic data about water quality. Information to obtain more detailed water testing through various state accredited water testing laboratories was provided. 

In total, one hundred forty six residents attended the clinics and one hundred nine drinking water samples were analyzed. When asked if they learned something new at the end of the workshop, eighty percent said they learned “a great deal of new information.”

When asked if they were going to act on what they learned, over eighty percent said yes, six percent said no and the rest said they would think about it.

For more information about the Master Well Owner Network Visit the MWON website. For more information on private water supplies, visit the Water Resources Drinking Water website.

(Written By: Les Isbrandt, New Hope Resident and Master Well Owner Network volunteer, and reprinted from Penn State Extension's Watershed Winds newsletter.)

6/10/2013