By Andy Yencha, Penn State Extension Educator

The 2023 PA Groundwater Symposium will offer both an optional in-person tour on May 3 and a virtual conference on May 9.

The PA Groundwater Symposium has been a forum for groundwater education and networking since 2014.

To mark its 10th year, the May 9, online seminar will feature two timely plenary speakers.

Climate researcher and geologist Richard Alley from Penn State will deliver the keynote presentation titled, Looking for Good News on Climate Change and Energy: History, Future, and Pennsylvania Water.

Following Richard, Senior EPA Scientist Fran Kremer will give a talk titled, Protecting Drinking Water Resources: Private Domestic Wells.

The virtual event also includes a wide variety of other talks on topics including groundwater availability, PFAS occurrence in private wells, groundwater technical standards, source water identification using natural tracers, and the impacts of deicing chemicals on groundwater quality.

Live question and answer sessions, and a panel discussion featuring groundwater experts, are scheduled throughout the day so participants can interact with presenters.

In-Person Tour

An optional day-long tour is also offered on May 3, for people who register for the virtual symposium. The tour takes place on Penn State University's campus in State College.

Attendees will visit various campus locations to see how college workers manages both stormwater and sanitary wastewater.

Topics will include green stormwater infrastructure, sinkhole remediation, regulatory compliance, and the "living filter" a wastewater irrigation system that receives all the treated effluent from the campus's Water Reclamation Facility.

The Symposium is sponsored by Penn State Extension, the Department of Environmental Protection, the PA Water Resources Research Center, and the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences.

Major partners include the US Geological Survey PA Water Science Center, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Groundwater Association, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and the Penn State Extension Master Well Owner Network (MWON).

Registration for the Virtual Conference is $55 for regular attendees, $40 for students, and $35 for MWON Volunteers. The cost to attend the tour is an additional $30 which includes lunch. Tour spots are limited. Early registration is encouraged.

Participants who attend the virtual symposium are eligible for up to .75 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Those who also attend the tour are eligible for another .5 CEUs.

More details and registration can be found at the 2023 PA Groundwater Symposium webpage or contact Penn State Extension Water Resource Educator Andy Yencha: phone 717-324-0558, email azy30@psu.edu. 

Upcoming Events

-- Multiple Dates:  Private Water Supply Education & Water Testing Events

-- Multiple Dates: More Private Water Supply Education & Water Testing Events

-- March 28:  Do-It Yourself Guide - Converting Your Lawn To A Meadow

-- March 29: Water Cooler Talk - Agroforestry’s Impact On Water Quality.

-- March 29: Water Webinar Series - Corrosive Water

-- May 9: Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium

-- May 18: PA Native Species Day

-- June 3-6: International Conference On Pollinator Biology, Health & Policy, State College

-- June 19-25: Pollinator Week

(Reprinted from Penn State Extension - Watershed Winds newsletter.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy - bottom of page.)

Related Articles:

-- Registration Open For May 9 Online Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium; Optional In-Person Tour May 3  [PaEN]

-- Celebrate Pennsylvania Native Species Day May 18  [PaEN]

-- 4-H Youth Learn Importance Of Drinking Water Standards In Historical Context

-- Penn State Extension: Become A Master Watershed Steward

[Posted: March 22, 2023]

3/27/2023