The Penn State Extension will host an April 1 webinar on Private Water Supply Education and Water Testing from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Do you live in one of the more than one million homes and farms in Pennsylvania that get their drinking water from a private well or spring?

Do you know what is in your drinking water and how to keep it safe for you and your family? Would you like to have your water tested for free?

The Private Water Supply Education and Water Testing event is designed for people who manage a private drinking water supply.

The webinar will cover how to test and protect your well or spring and when water treatment might make sense.

It will also discuss well and spring system inspection and maintenance so you know how to protect your family, your property, and the groundwater we share.

This event is for residents of Pennsylvania who use a private water supply (well, spring, cistern) in their primary residence.

Only one free water test is permitted per household. Water testing supplies will be distributed to participants after attending the event. Using a pre-paid mailer, participants must return their water samples by a specified date.

The following parameters will be tested: bacteria,  pH, nitrate, manganese, lead, copper, barium, sodium, and arsenic.

All these tests are related to potential health risks and can only be detected through water testing.

A Department of  Environmental Protection Accredited Laboratory will do all testing.

Who is this for?

-- Residents of Pennsylvania with a private water supply (well, spring, cistern)

What will you learn?

-- How to test and protect your well or spring

-- When water treatment makes sense

-- Well/spring system inspection and maintenance

Funding for this program was possible by the Pennsylvania Department of Health cooperative agreement with the CDC Environmental Health Capacity Building initiative (Grant #1NUE1EH001414-01-00) and support from the  Master Well Owner Network grant from the Department of  Environmental Protection.

Click Here to register and for more information.

Visit the Penn State Extension website to learn more about many other educational opportunities.

Upcoming Extension Events

March 10-- Penn State Extension Ag Water Series Webinar: Tile Drainage In Pennsylvania. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 11-- Penn State Extension (7 of 10) Pennsylvania Forests Webinar Seminar Series - Hazard Tree Analysis.  Noon and 7:00 p.m.

March 11-- Penn State Extension Webinar On Lawn Care For Clean Water.  Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 12-- Penn State Extension Woods In Your Backyard Series (Part 9 of 9)  - Putting Your Knowledge To Work - What’s Your Plan?  Map it Out. 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

March 13-- DCNR, Penn State Extension Forest Health, Insect, Disease Update Webinar, 8:30 to 11:00 a.m.

March 17-- Penn State Extension Ag Water Series Webinar: Where Does Water Go?  Watersheds & Mapping. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 19-- Penn State Extension Hosts Webinar On Green Infrastructure's Many Functions.  Noon to 1:00 p.m. 

March 19-- Penn State Extension Pond Management Series (1 of 4). Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 24-- Penn State Extension Ag Water Series Webinar: Countywide Clean Water Plans - Beyond 2025. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 26-- Penn State Extension Pond Management Series (2 of 4). Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 29-- Penn State Extension In-Person Rain Barrel Discovery Workshop, Lebanon County 11:00 to Noon

April 1-- Penn State Extension Hosts Private Water Supply Education & Water Testing Webinar; A Free Water Test Included. 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

April 1-3-- Penn State ACAP Ag Conservation Con 2025 - Harrisburg

April 2-- Penn State Extension Pond Management Series (3 of 4). Noon to 1:00 p.m.

April 8--  Penn State Extension (8 of 10) Pennsylvania Forests Webinar Seminar Series - Forest Resilience Scorecard for PA.  Noon and 7:00 p.m.

April 9-- Penn State Extension Pond Management Series (4 of 4). Noon to 1:00 p.m.

April 21-- Penn State Extension In-Person Private Water Supply Education, Water Testing Workshop, Carlisle, Cumberland County, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

April 28, April 29-- Penn State Extension, PA Sea Grant In-Person Educator Workshops On Watershed Literacy & Tree Plantings In Lancaster County

May 6-7-- Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium, Harrisburg

May 13-- Penn State Extension (9 of 10) Pennsylvania Forests Webinar Seminar Series - Tree Nuts in Pennsylvania.  Noon and 7:00 p.m.

May 13-15-- Save the Date: DCNR Watershed Forestry Summit

June 10-- Penn State Extension (10 of 10) Pennsylvania Forests Webinar Seminar Series - The Use of Slash Walls to Exclude Deer and Regenerate Native Forest Tree Species.  Noon and 7:00 p.m.

September 25-- Penn State Extension Dive Deeper Summit For Water Educators. Harrisburg.

Related Articles This Week:

-- Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, 320 Partners, Thousands Of Volunteers To Plant Nearly 200,000 Trees In PA This Year; Over 8.2 Million Planted Since 2018  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy: Landowners, Apply Now For Statewide Riparian Tree Plantings  [PaEN]

-- PA iMapInvasives Program: Replace Your Invasive, Non-Native Plants, Shrubs With Native Plants At 5 Upcoming Give-Away Events Starting May 3  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy: Apply Now To Treevitalize Pittsburgh For Support In Planting Trees In Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, April 1 Deadline

-- March 26 Lunch & Learn Meeting On Project To Demonstrate Scale Rare Earth, Critical Minerals Recovery In Clearfield County  [PaEN]

-- Registration Open!  Water Utilities: US Water Alliance One Water Summit In Pittsburgh July 8-11; SPC Forming Delegation  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation Now Accepting Entries To Save The Bay Photo Contest  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- PennLive: DOGE Cutting Harrisburg-Area USDA Farm, Rural Development, USGS Water Research Center, Other Offices After Pushing Employees Out

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Lancaster County Farmers Face A Triple Whammy Of Threats: Tariffs, Bird Flu And Federal Funding Cuts 

-- Lancaster Farming Guest Essay: Conservation Is A Good Investment - By Julia Krall, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

-- Pike Conservation District: How Water Moves The Land And How You Can Control It - By Nick Kremp, Head Resource Conservationist

-- Pike Conservation District News: March 31 Results Of Microplastics Study; April 5 Rain Barrel Workshop; Much More

-- Altoona Mirror: Sustainable Agriculture Growing In Pennsylvania

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Keys To Keeping Volunteers Include Knowing Your Audience And What Excites Them - By John Zaktansky 

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Forest School Educator Dr. Jean Lomino Shares The Benefits, Key Components Ahead Of Naturalist Certification Course Set For April 14-17 In Central PA - By John Zaktansky

-- Beaver Times - Brian Whipkey: Anglers Can Find Wild Trout In More Than 3,200 Miles of PA Streams, Here’s Where

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Aqua PA Sues Company Alleging It Contaminated Drinking Water Source With ‘Significant’ Levels Of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ 

[Posted: March 5, 2025]

3/10/2025