Well Water Basics for the Homeowner Carbon County Pennsylvania

Wednesday, July 16, 6:00 pm

Environmental Consultant and hydrogeologist Brian Oram presents this free program for homeowners with private well and/or septic systems at part of the Community Outreach Efforts of the Keystone Clean Water Team. Brian explains smart well maintenance, and takes the mystery out of your water test results.

The program…

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently responded to a report put out by the Clean Air Council (CAC) of Philadelphia, which had alleged high emissions from the Barto compressor station in Penn Township, Lycoming County. Real data, however, show emission levels far below federal…

Just completed a presentation in Dimock, PA - A pdf version of the presentaiton can be found at

http://www.water-research.net/naturalgasPA/pdffiles/gettingthewatertestedfebt2012oram.pdf

A recording of the training event can be found at

http://youtu.be/aW0hjagtBYE

It was a very nice event - Great…

 "Getting the Waters Tested - An Industry Perspective" - PIOGA Winter Conference - Feb. 8, 2012.

At the winter conference, I presented a shortened version of my 3 hour training course and discussion regarding the development of the Marcellus Shale and issues or concerns related to water quality and private wells.

New Online Guide for Private Well Owners in PA

Nearly a million households in Pennsylvania rely on private water supplies.In Pennsylvania, protection and maintenance of a private well is largely the responsibility of homeowners. Private wells are typically safe, dependable sources of water if sited wisely and constructed properly. Information is provided here to have your private water supply built correctly and protected adequately.  There…

As a young geologist working at Wilkes University, I got a call from a private well owner about a problem with salty water. The site was located in the northern part of Susquehanna County. I did not collect the sample, but sent them a sampling kit to collect the sample and the homeowner mailed the sample back to me at Wilkes University. This program has know grown into to the Homeowner Outreach Program at Wilkes University -…

The Wilkes University Center for Environmental Quality, through its Homeowner Outreach Program, has been conducting water quality analysis and education for the past 20 years. Even though our groundwater resources are one of our most important assets, there is limited data on the quality and quantity of regional groundwater. Wilkes University is establishing a regional water quality database and we are requesting your participation by allowing us to add the data from your certified…

Wilkes University’s Center for Environmental Quality is establishing a water quality database in response to natural gas drilling our region. The database will provide information about the current state of groundwater and surface water quality and serve as a basis for monitoring impacts related to Marcellus gas drilling activity. The database initiative is the first of its kind in northeast Pennsylvania and targets private wells in Luzerne and Columbia…

Pike County - Radon in Water Higher than Anticipated

Pike two-year water study

By TOM KANE

MILFORD, PA — A two-year study of the Pike County watersheds and ground water resources reveals ground water resources of good quality and good quantity. The only negative concern centered on the amount of radioactive radon that is exceeding normal levels in 75 percent of the testing wells. Radon is the second-leading cause of cancer in the nation.

The survey, which was…

Because of the recent interest in the Marcellus Shale in PA, there has been a significant increase in drilling of deep natural gas production wells. One of the primary concerns or issues is Pennsylvania, would be the potential for these wells to impact surrounding freshwater wells. Since most of these freshwater wells are wells that are classified as private or unregulated wells and these wells are typically constructed with no minimal construction standard, a primary concern for developing…

Getting Your Water Tested – Why?

In Pennsylvania, there are no statewide regulations that truly guarantee that a private well is properly constructed and that the water from the well is potable, i.e., drinkable. In Pennsylvania and other states, a private well is not defined as a public water supply system and not regulated by the PADEP or EPA. There are some counties in Pennsylvania that do provide some regulatory oversight with respect to the siting, construction, and…