1. science
2. ecology
3. pollution

Building Groundwater Knowledge Through Monitoring
Ramada Inn Conference Center, State College, PA
May 7, 2014
A large central Pennsylvania groundwater spring (photo: Bryan Swistock, Penn State Extension)
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Thank You to Our Symposium Sponsors!
(See back pages for more details about sponsors)
Additional Symposium partner agencies include the Susquehanna River Basin
Commission, U.S. Geological Survey and the Pennsylvania Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources
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2014 Groundwater Symposium Agenda
7:30 – 8:30 AM – Registration – Lobby – Ramada Inn Conference Center, State College, PA (coffee and snacks)
Morning Plenary Session
8:30 – 8:40 AM – Welcome – Bryan Swistock, Water Resources Specialist, Penn State University
8:40 – 9:00 AM – Opening Remarks –Secretary Christopher Abruzzo, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
9:00 – 10:15 AM - Morning Plenary Session (Moderator - Pat Bowling, PA DEP)
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9:00 – 9:45 AM – Keynote Presentation – Groundwater Monitoring in the National Water Quality Assessment Program,
Bruce Lindsey, U.S. Geological Survey, New Cumberland, PA

9:45 – 10:15 AM – Potential Changes for Pennsylvania Groundwater Law and Policy, Lara Fowler, Senior Lecturer, Penn
State Dickinson School of Law and Research Fellow, Penn State Institutes for Energy and the Environment
10:15 – 10:30 AM – Morning break - coffee, juice, snacks
10:30 – 12:00 PM - Morning Concurrent Sessions (25 minute presentations with 5 minutes for setup)

Session A - Groundwater and Shale Gas Drilling - (Moderator - Dave Yoxtheimer, Penn State University)

10:30 – 10:55 AM - Effect of Shale Gas Drilling on Groundwater Quality, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Paul
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Wendel , Shaker Ramasamy , Bingqing Lang , Wayne Ford , Logan Wiest , Tyler Stauffer , Brandon Drake and
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John Sepiol , Otterbein University, Westerville, OH; Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA; University of
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Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA; Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
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11:00 – 11:25 AM - Baseline Groundwater Quality in Areas Underlain by the Marcellus Shale, Sullivan and Wayne
Counties, Pennsylvania, Ronald A. Sloto, U.S. Geological Survey
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11:30 – 11:55 AM - Baseline Reconnaissance Spatial and Temporal Assessment of Methane and Brine-Related
Inorganic Constituents in Groundwater, Pike County, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Lisa A. Senior, U.S. Geological
Survey, Pennsylvania Water Science Center
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Session B - Groundwater Monitoring and Aquifer Studies - (Moderator – Dennis Risser, U.S. Geological Survey)
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10:30 – 10:55 AM - How 45 Years of Water-Table Level Monitoring Can Tell Us a Whole Lot About the Gatesburg
Formation, One of Pennsylvania’s Most Productive Aquifers, Todd Giddings, Ph.D., P.G., Todd Giddings and
Associates, Inc., State College, PA.
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11:00 – 11:25 AM - PaGWIS – Changes to an Old Database, Stuart Reese and Gary Fleeger, Pennsylvania
Geological Survey
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11:30 – 11:55 AM - Streamflow Depletion by Groundwater Pumping from Fractured-Rock Aquifers of the Newark
Basin, Daniel J. Goode, Lisa A. Senior, and Dennis W. Risser, U.S. Geological Survey Pennsylvania Water Science
Center
12:00 – 1:00 PM – Buffet Lunch – Ramada Inn poolside atrium
1:00 – 2:00 PM - Afternoon Concurrent Sessions (25 minute presentations with 5 minutes for setup)
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Session A - Groundwater and Shale Gas Drilling - (Moderator – Joe Lee, PA DEP)
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1:00 – 1:25 PM - Stream Methane Monitoring in Areas of Natural Gas Drilling in Pennsylvania, Paul Grieve, Scott
Hynek, Todd Sowers and Susan Brantley, The Pennsylvania State University , Victor M. Heilweil and Dennis
Risser, U.S. Geological Survey, D. Kip Solomon, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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1:30 – 1:55 PM - Depth of Freshwater and Quality of Saline Water at a Test Hole in an Area of Marcellus Shale
Gas Development, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, Dennis W. Risser, John H. Williams, and Daniel Goode, U.S.
Geological Survey; Kristen L. Hand, Rose-Anna Behr, and Antonette K. Markowski, Pennsylvania Geological
Survey
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Session B - Groundwater Monitoring and Aquifer Studies - (Moderator – Jim Richenderfer, Susquehanna River Basin
Commission)
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1:00 – 1:25 PM - Spring Creek (Pennsylvania) Water Resources Monitoring Project, Lori Davis - ClearWater
Conservancy, State College, PA
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1:30 – 1:55 PM - Undocumented Groundwater Damage from Longwall Coal Mining in Pennsylvania, Stephen P.
Kunz, Senior Ecologist at Schmid & Company, Inc., in Media PA.
2:00 – 2:45 PM – Poster Session / Afternoon Break – Ramada Inn Conference Center Lobby
2:45 – 3:25 PM - Closing Plenary Session – (Moderator Jim Clark, Penn State Extension, McKean County)
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2:45 - 3:25 PM –Is Pennsylvania Becoming Drought Resistant?, Paul Knight, Pennsylvania State Climatologist, Penn
State University
3:25 – 3:30 PM – Closing Remarks and Adjourn
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Planning Committee
2014 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium
Thanks to following individuals for serving on the Planning Committee for the 2014
Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium!
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Pat Bowling – Source Water Protection Coordinator, Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection
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Jim Clark – Water Resources Extension Educator, Penn State Extension, McKean
County
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Joe Lee – Chief, Compliance and Data Management, Bureau of Oil and Gas Planning
and Program Management, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
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Mark Ralston – Consulting Hydrogeologist, State College, PA
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Bob Reichart – Executive Director, Pennsylvania Ground Water Association
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Stuart Reese - Chief, Groundwater and Environmental Geology Section, Geologic
Mapping Division, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania
Geological Survey
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Jim Richenderfer – Director, Technical Programs, Susquehanna River Basin
Commission
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Dennis Risser – Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, New Cumberland, PA
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Bryan Swistock – Water Resources Extension Specialist, Department of Ecosystem
Science and Management, Penn State University
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Dave Yoxtheimer – Hydrogeologist, Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research, Penn
State University
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Table of Contents
Listing of Abstracts and Biographies (in order of presentation on agenda)
Opening Remarks – Secretary Christopher Abruzzo, PA DEP
Page 6
Morning Keynote Presentations
Pages 7-8
Morning Concurrent Session Presentations
Pages 9-14
Afternoon Concurrent Session Presentations
Pages 15-18
Afternoon Closing Keynote Presentation
Page 19
Poster Session
Poster Session at a Glance (titles and authors)
Page 20
Poster Abstracts (in alphabetical order of first author)
Pages 21-26
List of Registrants and Contact Information
Pages 27-32
Symposium Sponsor Information
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Page 33
Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center
Page 34
Pennsylvania Ground Water Association
Page 35
Penn State Master Well Owner Network
Page 36
Save the Date – 2015 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium
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Back Cover
Opening Remarks
In recognition of National Drinking Water Week, the 2014 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium is
pleased to welcome E. Christopher Abruzzo Secretary, Department of Environmental Protection for
opening remarks.
E. Christopher Abruzzo was nominated by Governor Tom Corbett to serve as Secretary of the Department
of Environmental Protection on September 20, 2013. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate on
December 9, 2013. Prior to his confirmation as Secretary of the
Department of Environmental Protection, Abruzzo served as
Acting Secretary of DEP. He was appointed as Acting Secretary
by the Governor on April 13, 2013.
In his role as Acting Secretary, Abruzzo made it a priority to
improve transparency at the agency and to work more closely
with the public and environmental stakeholders in the
development of policy and regulations. In addition, he led the
Department through a minor reorganization designed to better
serve both internal and external partners on matters concerning
environmental education, energy, and environmental justice. As
Acting Secretary, Abruzzo worked to unify the regional offices
and the central office to promote consistency in the decision
making and permitting processes. Further, he emphasized DEP’s
role as both regulators and problem-solvers to protect the
environment and to help the regulated community achieve
environmental compliance.
Prior to his role at DEP, Secretary Abruzzo served as a Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Corbett. In this
role, he was responsible for overseeing the activities of nearly 20 commonwealth agencies and
commissions, among them DEP and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Secretary
Abruzzo brings 20 years of public service experience to DEP. In 2007 he was elected to serve as a
member of the Derry Township (Dauphin County) Board of Supervisors, and served as chairman of the
board of supervisors from 2010 to 2014. Abruzzo was appointed in 2008 to the board of the Derry
Township Municipal Authority and served as chairman of the authority board in 2010 and 2011. Before
serving in the Governor’s Office, Abruzzo was a Chief Deputy Attorney General in the Pennsylvania
Attorney General’s Office. Abruzzo supervised the Drug Strike Force Section and the Medicaid Fraud
Control Section throughout his 15 years of service to the Attorney General’s office.
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Morning Keynote Presentation
Groundwater Monitoring by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program
Bruce D. Lindsey, P.G., Principal Aquifer Analyst, U.S. Geological Survey, New Cumberland,
PA
The goals of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment program are to
assess water-quality conditions, determine whether conditions are changing over time, and to
help explain how natural and human factors affect those conditions. The completion of 20 years
of sampling in Pennsylvania as of 2012 provides us with the opportunity to summarize regional
findings of groundwater sampled from monitoring networks in Principal Aquifers that are
sources of water for domestic and public supply. In addition, changes in concentrations in
groundwater have been evaluated from networks which have been sampled on a decadal scale.
Five Principal Aquifers were assessed in Pennsylvania.
Contaminants from geologic sources (radon, arsenic, and
manganese) were found more frequently in the three
noncarbonate-rock aquifers, and contaminants with
human-related sources (nitrate and Escherichia coli)
were found more frequently in the two carbonate-rock
aquifers. At least one Maximum Contaminant Level or
human health benchmark was exceeded in 28 percent of
the drinking-water supplies sampled in all five networks.
National analysis indicated that many more networks
had increasing concentrations than decreasing
concentrations of chloride, dissolved solids, and nitrate over a decadal time span. Changes in
concentrations of MTBE and several pesticides illustrate potential responses to changes in
chemical use.
Speaker Biography
Bruce Lindsey is the Principal Aquifer Analyst for the Atlantic Region of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program and also coordinates studies of ground-water trends for the
NAWQA Program. He received a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering in 1984 from the Pennsylvania State University
and a M.S. in GeoEnvironmental Studies from Shippensburg University in 2004.
He began working for the USGS in 1992, starting with the NAWQA Program study of groundwater in the Lower
Susquehanna River Basin. Over the past 22 years he has conducted studies and authored reports on a number of
local and regional topics related to groundwater quality. His area of study within the USGS NAWQA program has
focused on analysis of water quality in the five principal aquifers in the Piedmont, Blue Ridge and Valley and Ridge
Physiographic Provinces. He has also been involved in analysis of groundwater trends nationwide, and analysis of
water quality in the major carbonate-rock aquifers of the United States. Key work on other USGS projects includes
documenting groundwater residence time and nitrate transport to streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed,
delineation of contributing areas to municipal supply wells for wellhead protection, and studying occurrence of
bacteria and viruses in domestic and community supply wells in Pennsylvania.
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Morning Keynote Presentation
Potential Changes for Pennsylvania Groundwater Law and Policy
Lara Fowler, Senior Lecturer, Penn State Dickinson School of Law, Research Fellow, Penn
State Institutes of Energy and the Environment. The Pennsylvania State University
The legal management of groundwater is an increasingly important topic across the United
States, including in the eastern United States. The presenter, a water attorney and mediator with
experience in the western United States, will discuss lessons learned from other states that might
be applied to Pennsylvania and what states are doing to address demands on groundwater. The
presentation will focus on how groundwater law and policy might be updated or modified in
Pennsylvania to address present and future concerns.
Speaker Biography
Lara Fowler is a mediator and an attorney who focuses on environmental and
natural resource law, including water rights, water quality, flooding, tribal law,
and Endangered Species Act issues. Prior to joining Penn State, she worked for
a private law firm, Gordon Thomas Honeywell LLP in Seattle, Washington,
where she focused on mediation and dispute resolution of complex natural
resource issues, as well as representing clients facing regulatory hurdles in the
environmental field. She has worked on issues such as addressing who is
entitled to store groundwater in the greater Los Angeles area, developing a
$17.8 billion proposed regional transportation plan for the greater Seattle and
Puget Sound region, and working to address chronic flooding issues in the
Chehalis Basin, Washington State’s second largest river basin. Before
pursuing a legal career, she was a senior water resources coordinator with the
Oregon Water Resources Department working on agricultural and municipal
water conservation and instream flow restoration. In all of these positions, she
has worked closely with scientists and other technical resources to find
practical solutions to difficult natural resource issues.
Professor Fowler is currently a senior lecturer at the Penn State Dickinson
School of Law, where she created and taught an environmental and public policy mediation course and is
developing a water law and policy course. She also has a joint position as a Research Fellow with the Penn State
Institutes of Energy and the Environment. Professor Fowler has a J.D. from the University of Washington School of
Law, and an A.B. from Dartmouth College.
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Morning Session A – Groundwater and Shale Gas Drilling
Effect of Shale Gas Drilling on Groundwater Quality, Tioga County, Pennsylvania
Paul Wendel1, Shaker Ramasamy2, Bingqing Liang3, Wayne Ford2, Logan Wiest4, Tyler
Stauffer2, Brandon Drake2, and John Sepiol2, (1) Department of Education, Otterbein University,
1 South Grove Street, Westerville, OH 43081, [email protected], (2) Department of
Chemistry and Physics, Mansfield University, 105 Grant Science Center, Mansfield, PA 16933,
(3) Department of Geography, University of Northern Iowa, ITTC 214, Cedar Falls, IA 50614,
(4) Earth and Environmental Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122
The study examines water quality related to Marcellus-Shale-gas extraction in Tioga County, PA
by horizontal drilling and slick-water hydrofracturing. In Phase I (January 2011 through May
2011), 46 private drinking water wells less than 400 m from the nearest gas drill site (mean
distance = 282 m) and 52 private drinking water wells greater than 400 m from the nearest gas
drill site (mean distance = 1736 m) were selected by a randomization procedure, sampled, and
tested for pH and conductivity; barium and strontium concentrations also were measured by
atomic emission spectroscopy and used as a proxy for presence of flowback fluid. Statistical tests
reveal no significant difference between water samples taken less than 400 m from the nearest
gas drill site and water samples taken more than 400 m from the nearest gas drill site, but there
was a weak negative correlation between conductivity and distance to the nearest well. In Phase
II, most of the water wells (n = 89) were resampled and analyzed (October 2012 through May
2013). Preliminary results indicate a repeat of the Phase I finding of a weak negative correlation
between conductivity and distance to the nearest well; a modest county-wide increase in median
pH over two years; and evidence of changes in analyte concentrations when new gas wells were
drilled within 400 m of a drinking water source.
Speaker Biographies
Paul Wendel is Assistant Professor of Education at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. A former high
school physics teacher, he has served as Assistant Professor of Physics at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania and
as Program Officer at the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation.
Dr. Shaker Ramasamy is a Full Professor and Chair of the Chemistry and Physics department at Mansfield
University. His specialty is Analytical chemistry with expertise in environmental inorganic analysis.
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Morning Session A – Groundwater and Shale Gas Drilling
Baseline Groundwater-Quality in Areas Underlain by the Marcellus Shale, Sullivan and
Wayne Counties, Pennsylvania
Ronald A. Sloto, U.S. Geological Survey, 770 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 116, Exton, PA 19341
Water samples were collected from 54 domestic wells in Sullivan and Wayne Counties,
Pennsylvania, by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Pennsylvania Geological Survey during
2012-13 to provide baseline groundwater-quality data in areas underlain by the Marcellus Shale
but not yet drilled for natural gas. The water samples were collected from wells completed in
Pennsylvanian, Mississippian, and Devonian age sedimentary rocks and analyzed for nutrients,
major ions, metals and trace elements, radioactivity, and dissolved gases, including methane and
radon-222. Fifty-four percent of the sampled wells had a detectable [greater than 0.001 mg/L
(milligrams per liter)] methane concentration. Concentrations of dissolved methane ranged over
five orders of magnitude (non-detect to 51.1 mg/L); the median concentration was 0.001 mg/L.
Five water samples (9 percent) had a dissolved methane concentration greater than 0.9 mg/L and
were analyzed for carbon and hydrogen isotopes of methane. The 13C values ranged from -42.37
to -60.32 per mil, and the D values ranged from -170.2 to -226.6 per mil, which is generally
indicative of a thermogenic origin. Six water samples with methane concentrations greater than
0.08 mg/L also had pH values greater than 8 and elevated concentrations of arsenic, barium,
boron, bromide, lithium, and molybdenum. The groundwater samples with the five highest
methane concentrations also had the highest boron concentrations (91 to 165 µg/L) and the
highest bromide concentrations (0.26 to 2.7 µg/L). Arsenic concentrations ranged from less than
0.03 to 21.8 micrograms per liter (µg/L) and exceeded the 10 µg/L drinking water standard in
three water samples (6 percent). The four water samples with arsenic concentrations greater than
8 µg/L had a pH of 8.4 to 9.3 and methane concentrations from 0.08 to 4.1 mg/L.
Speaker Biography
Ron Sloto is a senior hydrogeologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Exton, Pennsylvania. He has worked on a
wide variety of water-resource issues in Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. His experience includes groundwater and surface-water modeling, hydraulic characterization of hazardous waste sites, application of borehole
geophysics to hydrologic investigations, basin-scale ground-water availability, radionuclides in groundwater, waterquality, and stream sediment studies. He has published more than 80 papers, reports, and abstacts. Ron’s recent
work includes pre-drilling baseline groundwater-quality studies in the Marcellus Shale play. He has collected
groundwater samples in Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Lycoming, Monroe, Pike, Somerset, Sullivan, Tioga, and Wayne
Counties. He publised a pre-drilling baseline groundwater-quality study for Sullivan County in 2013, and a baseline
study for Wayne County is currently in peer review.
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Morning Session A – Groundwater and Shale Gas Drilling
Baseline Reconnaissance Spatial and Temporal Assessment of Methane and Brine-Related
Inorganic Constituents in Groundwater, Pike County, Northeastern Pennsylvania
Lisa A. Senior, U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Exton, PA
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Pike County Conservation District, sampled
water from domestic and supply wells in Pike County, Pennsylvania during 2012-13 to provide
baseline data on methane and brine-related constituents. This study provided estimates of spatial
and temporal variability for a range of constituents needed to evaluate potential changes in
groundwater quality. Sample analyses included major ions, trace constituents, nutrients, radon222, stable isotopes of water, and methane. Results showed that methane was detectable in water
samples from 16 of 20 wells (80 percent), with most concentrations less than 0.10 milligrams per
liter (mg/L) but two greater than 1 mg/L (3.8 and 5.8 mg/L methane). Isotopic composition of
methane in these two samples indicated a predominantly microbial source. Samples with high
methane had pH values greater than 8.2 and relatively elevated concentrations of sodium,
lithium, boron, bromide, fluoride, and tungsten. Four of the 20 wells were sampled monthly for
one year ending June 2013 for temporal assessment. Monthly concentrations of major ions
generally varied less than 20 percent, although chloride and other constituents likely related to
road salt increased during winter from one well. Monthly concentrations of methane varied by
less than 0.01 mg/L for three wells with low methane and by about 1 mg/L for one well with
high methane.
Speaker Biography
Lisa Senior is a Hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Pennsylvania Water Science Center
(PAWSC), Exton, Pennsylvania. Currently also the acting Water-Quality Specialist for the PAWSC. She has an
undergraduate degree in geology and a masters degree in hydrology and has worked as a Hydrologist with the USGS
in Pennsylvania since 1986, largely on studies in eastern Pennsylvania. Her work with USGS in Pennsylvania has
resulted in numerous reports describing groundwater studies, watershed studies, and water quality studies that have
included investigations of naturally occurring constituents and man-made compounds.
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Morning Session B – Groundwater Monitoring and Aquifer Studies
How 45 years of Water-Table Level Monitoring Can Tell Us a Whole Lot About The
Gatesburg Formation, One of Pennsylvania’s Most Productive Aquifers
Todd Giddings, Ph.D., P.G., Todd Giddings and Associates, Inc.
The Gatesburg Formation is a sandy dolomite formation that forms a low ridge on the carbonate
valley floor in the Valley and Ridge physiographic province in Centre County. It is the source of
some of the largest springs in Pennsylvania, and hosts many public water-supply well fields that
produce several million gallons per day. An evaluation of its water-table level hydrograph can
tell us a lot of information about this aquifer’s permeability, effective porosity, storage volume,
and recharge capacity. Its very sandy residual soil mantle and forest land-use cause the
infiltration capacity to be very high. By superimposing annual precipitation data on the waterlevel hydrograph, the lag in the hydrograph response to extreme precipitation events illustrates
the transit time for recharge to reach the very deep water-table. An understanding of the
formation’s hydrogeologic properties is essential to design and implement source water
protection measures for the public water-supply wells. This presentation will show and explain
techniques to read and interpret the water-table level hydrograph against the graph of the annual
precipitation to reach conclusions about the hydrogeologic properties of this source-water
aquifer. These techniques are applicable to any aquifer that has long-term water-table level
monitoring.
Speaker Biography
Todd Giddings, Ph.D., P.G., is a registered professional geologist, and the principal hydrogeologist and president of
Todd Giddings and Associates, Inc. He has more than 45 years of experience in ground-water resources
development, management, and remediation. His areas of professional interest are water-resources education, karst
hydrogeology, and geothermal heat pump system training. He is a Director of the Pennsylvania Ground Water
Association, Chairman of their Education Committee, and is Webmaster of their Web site at www.pgwa.org.
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Morning Session B – Groundwater Monitoring and Aquifer Studies
PaGWIS – Changes to an Old Database
Stuart Reese and Gary Fleeger, Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 3240 Schoolhouse Road,
Middletown, PA 17057
Thousands of water wells are drilled each year in Pennsylvania. Act 610, the Water Well
Drillers License Act of 1956, requires that drillers submit water-well completion reports to the
Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey, which must make the data available to the public.
As of June 1, 2009, drillers must submit their reports electronically through WebDriller. These
reports are then transferred to PaGWIS, which is used by the Bureau to conduct groundwater and
geologic studies. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection uses PaGWIS as
part of the permitting process for various regulated activities. Consultants and homeowners
regularly use PAGWIS to obtain information on water wells. There are approximately 420,000
records in PaGWIS. About 150,000 of these records are stored with only skeletal data and the
image of the paper record attached. Another 150,000 records are missing address and well log
information. About 50,000 records of scanned paper reports are not yet in PaGWIS. New internal
editing tools and a service contract will allow the bureau to update and correct existing data, and
to add the scanned paper files. Also, the bureau is moving to a new interface that will allow the
public to select parameters and directly download information.
Speaker Biography
Stuart Reese is chief of the in the Groundwater and Environmental Geology Section in the geologic mapping
division of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey in Middletown. He is a licensed Professional Geologist in
Pennsylvania. He received his BS degree in Geology from Juniata College and his MS degree in Geology from the
University of Tennessee at Knoxville. His experience includes work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a
Harrisburg engineering and consulting firm, and 10 years with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection. He has been at the Survey for over 12 years. He lives in Lower Swatara Twp. with his wife and two
teenagers and a college student.
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Morning Session B – Groundwater Monitoring and Aquifer Studies
Streamflow Depletion by Groundwater Pumping from Fractured-Rock Aquifers of the
Newark Basin
Daniel J. Goode ([email protected]), Lisa A. Senior, and Dennis W. Risser
U.S. Geological Survey Pennsylvania Water Science Center
Seepage measurements and simulation of groundwater pumping from Brunswick Group and
Lockatong Formation aquifers in and around Lansdale, Montgomery County, southeastern
Pennsylvania, showed depletion of base flow in headwater streams. Groundwater base flow to
streams occurs through a shallow weathered zone, which generally has lower permeability than
the unweathered fractured rock. Simulations verified that long-term, large-scale water-supply
pumping of groundwater has substantially depleted base flow in headwater streams, despite the
slow response of shallow water levels to pumping from deeper strata and the resultant lag in
changes to base flow. The simulated 1994 water budget indicated that 51 percent of groundwater
recharge was removed by pumping and only 49 percent discharged as base flow. By 2010 base
flow had recovered somewhat because water supplies shifted to surface-water sources and
groundwater withdrawals decreased by 42 percent. Several waste-water-treatment plants
discharge to local streams, resulting in increases in down-stream flow, but these plant discharges
represent an interbasin transfer of groundwater because some of the water transported to these
plants originated in an adjacent groundwater basin. Simulated groundwater basins, defined as
land-surface areas through which distributed recharge becomes base flow to the stream network,
are not fully coincident with the surface-water drainage basins.
Speaker Biography
Dan Goode is a hydrologist at the USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center, with 30 years in public service. He is
co-coordinator of the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program research project on chlorinated solvents in
sedimentary rocks, and has studied flow and transport in fractured-rock aquifers in southeastern Pennsylvania since
1994. His previous studies include hydrologic effects of the Pymatuning Earthquake and modeling of flooded coal
mines in the anthracite region. Dan is Associate Editor of Hydrogeology Journal and serves on the EPA Science
Advisory Board Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel.
14
Afternoon Session A
Groundwater and Shale Gas Drilling
Stream Methane Monitoring in Areas of Natural Gas Drilling in Pennsylvania
Paul Grieve, Scott Hynek, Todd Sowers and Susan Brantley, The Pennsylvania State University
Victor M. Heilweil and Dennis Risser, U.S. Geological Survey
D. Kip Solomon, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
The rapid pace of Marcellus Shale gas development in the northeastern United States has
prompted expanded monitoring of water resources. A new monitoring approach is being
developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Utah that utilizes methane in
stream base flow from gaining streams to estimate methane concentrations in groundwater.
Under certain conditions, this method may be able to provide background or post-drilling data on
groundwater composition and may indicate broad impact from natural gas drilling on a
watershed scale, unlike point-values from wells. Penn State, USGS, and University of Utah have
been collaborating to apply this method on two sites in northern Pennsylvania during 2013.
Dissolved methane concentrations have ranged between 1–70 µg/L, and as high as 4600 µg/L in
shallow groundwater. 13C-methane, 13C- ethane and 2H- methane have been used to identify the
source of gas as thermogenic, biogenic, or inorganic CO2-reduction. The isotope data at one site
provides a strong indication of thermogenic methane from the Trimmers Rock or older
formations. A 1-D stream transport model with gas exchange is applied to estimate the methane
concentration of groundwater inflow along gaining reaches of the streams.
Speaker Biography
Paul Grieve is currently a Masters student in the Geosciences Department at Penn State. He joined Dr. Brantley’s
lab in 2012. He currently works on the ShaleNetwork database and his research focuses on monitoring methane
fluxes in streams and using geochemical data to distinguish between ambient and anthropogenic sources.
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Afternoon Session A
Groundwater and Shale Gas Drilling
Depth of Freshwater and Quality of Saline Water at a Test Hole in an Area of Marcellus
Shale Gas Development, Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Dennis W. Risser, John H. Williams, and Daniel Goode, U.S. Geological Survey; Kristen L.
Hand, Rose-Anna Behr, and Antonette K. Markowski, Pennsylvania Geological Survey
The depth of freshwater and quality of saline water were characterized in a test hole cored to a
depth of 1,664 feet in an upland setting in western Bradford County, Pennsylvania. An
integrated analysis of the core, geophysical logs, water samples, and gas-isotope samples
indicated freshwater circulation in the Pottsville, Huntley Mountain, and Catskill Formations 700
to 900 feet below land surface. Geophysical logs identified elevated specific conductance of
water in the test hole at 914 and 1,026 feet below land surface, and groundwater samples verified
the inflow of highly saline water having a total dissolved-solids concentration of at least 12,700
milligrams per liter. The saline water had similar characteristics to Appalachian Basin brines that
had been diluted with fresh water – predominant ions were sodium, chloride, and calcium; and
predominant trace constituents were strontium, bromide, barium, lithium, iron, manganese, zinc,
fluoride, boron, molybdenum, and arsenic. Methane concentrations ranged from 7.8 to 37
milligrams per liter in three samples of saline water, compared to trace a concentration (0.0003
milligrams per liter) in one sample of fresh water. The isotopic ratios of 13C/12C and 2H/1H of
the methane indicated a thermogenic origin.
Speaker Biographies
Dan Goode is a hydrologist at the USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center, with 30 years in public service. He is
co-coordinator of the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program research project on chlorinated solvents in
sedimentary rocks, and has studied flow and transport in fractured-rock aquifers in southeastern Pennsylvania since
1994. His previous studies include hydrologic effects of the Pymatuning Earthquake and modeling of flooded coal
mines in the anthracite region. Dan is Associate Editor of Hydrogeology Journal and serves on the EPA Science
Advisory Board Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel.
Dennis Risser is a hydrogeologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. He has over
30 years experience in the field and is currently working on studies to characterize water quality of streams and
wells in Pennsylvania in some areas of Marcellus gas development.
16
Afternoon Session B
Groundwater Monitoring and Aquifer Studies
Spring Creek (PA) Water Resources Monitoring Project
Lori Davis, ClearWater Conservancy, State College, PA
The Water Resources Monitoring Project (WRMP) was first initiated in 1998 for the purpose of
gathering baseline information about the quantity and quality of the water resources within the
Spring Creek (PA) Watershed. As demands on these resources increase over time, having
baseline information can aid in their long-term protection and help inform decision-making
within the watershed.
The WRMP maintains 13 surface, 7 spring, and 3 groundwater monitoring stations along Spring
Creek (PA) and its five major sub-basins. These sites were chosen to represent various land use,
geologic, and hydrologic conditions across the watershed. Water quality data is collected
quarterly at spring and surface stations, and continuous water quantity data is collected at
groundwater and surface stations.
Throughout the past 16 years variations in water quality and quantity data have occurred. These
fluctuations have largely been attributed to temporal variations in water quality and stream flow
rather than the direct result of anthropogenic activities within the watershed. This presentation
will provide an overview of the WRMP and discuss historical data collected through the project.
As land use and development continue to occur, maintaining the WRMP becomes vital in
protecting the water resources and quality of life within Central Pennsylvania.
Speaker Biography
Lori Davis earned her B.S. in Biology from Lycoming College in 2011 and will graduate with her M.S. degree in
Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Penn State University this spring 2014. In November 2013, Lori started as
ClearWater Conservancy’s Water Resource Coordinator. Her primary focus at ClearWater is maintaining the Spring
Creek Water Resources Monitoring Project which she will be talking on today. Lori is a native of central
Pennsylvania and enjoys many recreational and outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, backpacking, kayaking
and skiing.
17
Afternoon Session B
Groundwater Monitoring and Aquifer Studies
Undocumented Groundwater Damage from Longwall Coal Mining in Pennsylvania
Stephen P. Kunz, Senior Ecologist at Schmid & Company, Inc., in Media PA.
Twenty years ago Act 54 amended Pennsylvania’s 1966 mining law. Similar to Act 13 and
Marcellus Shale gas drilling today, the primary purpose of Act 54 was to facilitate use of a
relatively new, highly-mechanized, more efficient method of coal extraction known as
“longwall” mining. Although coal had been mined underground in Pennsylvania for more than
200 years, mainly using traditional room-and-pillar methods, longwall mining is more profitable
because it extracts a higher percentage of coal at less cost to the coal operator. But there is a
downside -- longwall mining causes subsidence and results in significant bedrock deformation
and groundwater flow alterations. When enacted in 1994, it was expected that all damages that
might occur under Act 54 would be fixed; the Legislature even inserted a specific requirement
that PADEP prepare follow-up reports every 5 years to ensure that minimal damage in fact was
occurring. The three “Act 54 Reports” prepared to date, however, document significant damages
to wells from longwall mining. Unfortunately, the pre-mining information necessary to
document groundwater and well water impacts still is not being collected, and so the full extent
of groundwater damage from longwall mining remains unknown.
Speaker Biography
Stephen P. Kunz is a Senior Ecologist at Schmid & Company, Inc., in Media PA. During 35 years as a consulting
ecologist, Mr. Kunz has dealt with state and federal wetland and water quality issues throughout Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, and New York. For the past two decades he has focused attention on water resource impacts associated with
fossil fuel extraction in Pennsylvania. Mr. Kunz is certified as a Senior Ecologist by the Ecological Society of
America (ESA) and as a Professional Wetland Scientist by the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS). He can be
reached by email at [email protected] or by telephone at 610-356-1416.
18
Afternoon Keynote Presentation
Is Pennsylvania Becoming Drought Resistant?
Paul Knight, Pennsylvania State Climatologist, Senior Lecturer, Penn State University,
University Park, PA
While there have been several notable dry spells since the era of warming began in the 1980's, a
sustained drought appears to be rare compared with the decades prior.
Climate models predict more frequent droughts over the continents in decades to come, but
virtually none of these models forecast that precipitation would increase by 10% during the last
century.
Should we be planning for an unprecedented dry time in Pennsylvania? We will explore that
possibility.
Speaker Biography
Paul Knight is the Pennsylvania State Climatologist. He is
a senior lecturer of synoptic meteorology at Penn State
University and the manager of the Weather
Communications Group. Paul was the senior forecaster for
The New York Times from 1986-2009.He along with four
other colleagues produced the weather page for the Times
and International Herald Tribune. Paul is also producer, cohost and on-camera meteorologist Weather World, a fifteen
minute, weeknight weather magazine show which was seen
on 3 PBS stations in Pennsylvania for more than 30 years
and is also broadcast on Pennsylvania Cable Network and
Penn State’s Public Television Station (WPSU).
19
Poster Session at a Glance
Titles and Authors (Alphabetical Order – First Author)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Evaluation and Classification of Shallow Aquifer Systems with Respect to Shale Gas
Activities in Pennsylvania, Sina Arjmand1, Jorge D. Abad1, Susan Brantley2, Radisav Vidic1,
1
University of Pittsburgh, 2Penn State University.
Influences on Water Chemistry and Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions in a
Geographically Diverse Watershed, Molly R. Cain, Pamela S. Sullivan, Andrew L. Neal,
Geosciences Department, The Pennsylvania State University
Monitoring the Roadside Springs of Pennsylvania, James A Clark, Penn State Extension
Educator, McKean County, Diane Oleson, Penn State Extension Educator, York County,
Bryan Swistock, Penn State Extension Water Specialist, Penn State University
Presence of Antibiotics in Groundwater at the Living Filter of Penn State University,
Alison M. Franklin, Danielle M. Andrews and John E. Watson, Ecosystem Science and
Management, The Pennsylvania State University
Groundwater Availability in the Appalachian Plateaus , Kurt J. McCoy, US Geological
Survey
What Old Maps Can Tell You About Groundwater Resources, Linda Musser Pennsylvania
State University
Groundwater Level Monitoring Wells in Adams County, PA, James B. Palmer, Interstate
Commission on the Potomac River Basin and Adam McClain, Adams County Conservation
District
ELANCO (Eastern Lancaster County) Wellhead Protection Committee, Robert R. Rissler,
ELANCO Source Water Protection Committee Chairman
A Summary of Groundwater Data Compiled Between 2007-2014 by the Penn State
Agricultural Analytical Testing Lab, Bryan Swistock, Susan Boser, James Clark, Jennifer
Fetter, Amy Galford, Diane Oleson, and Dana Rizzo, Penn State Extension
Use of UV for 4-Log Virus Disinfection During Primary Disinfection of Groundwater,
Greg Warkentin, Adam Festger, Scott Bindner, Trojan Technologies
20
Poster Abstracts (Alphabetical Order by Last Name of First Author)
Evaluation and Classification of Shallow Aquifer Systems with Respect to Shale Gas
Activities in Pennsylvania
Sina Arjmand1, Jorge D. Abad1, Susan Brantley2, Radisav Vidic1
1
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
15261, USA, 2 Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, PA 16802
The rapid expansion of shale oil and gas drilling activities in new areas of Pennsylvania has
raised the public attention to a new source of potential contamination. Surface spills and leaks of
fracturing and flowback fluids have been identified to be the major water contamination
pathways. To better evaluate the vulnerability of shallow aquifers to contaminants by shale gas
activities in Pennsylvania, and to classify regions with different vulnerabilities, we have
correlated the unconventional violations to aquifer characteristics. The Oil and Gas Compliance
Report by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has been processed to
identify location and type of violations. Water bearing formations are classified based on their
hydro-geologic characteristics as well as specific chemical indicators of shale gas contaminants.
Vulnerable formations are identified considering violations, density of drilled gas wells as well
as hydro-geologic settings of shallow aquifers. Statistical and Geographic Information System
(GIS) techniques have been used to delineate the vulnerable areas where groundwater is more
likely to be polluted by shale gas development wastes. This assessment is a useful tool for landuse planners, hydro-geologists and water managers because it provides valuable information
about vulnerable areas.
Influences on Water Chemistry and Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions in a
Geographically Diverse Watershed
Molly R. Cain, Pamela S. Sullivan, Andrew L. Neal, Geosciences Department, The Pennsylvania
State University, University Park, PA 16802
Water chemistry and hydrologic exchange are integral to life-sustaining processes that occur at
the Earth’s surface. Geographic heterogeneities result in distinct hydrologic differences that
integrate these critical processes. Geochemical analysis was used to examine the influence of
variations in lithology, vegetation, and soil type on water chemistry and groundwater-surface
water interactions within a small watershed. Groundwater and surface water geochemistry and
bulk soil geochemistry were examined at three stream locations, one located in a forested
catchment and two located within a grassland setting of a former lakebed. Water levels were
monitored within the lakebed to construct a water table surface and estimate groundwater flow
paths. Our results indicate that fine-grained sediments impede water exchange within the
lakebed while water flows more freely in the forested catchment. Within the forested catchment,
recharge mainly occurs downstream where a sandstone lithology dominates while shale impedes
flow upstream. Thicker vegetation canopy within the forested catchment blocks solar radiation,
resulting in less evaporation and lower water temperatures. DOC is higher in the grassland
environment where organic inputs are produced throughout the growing season. Our results
emphasize the significant effect of physical and biological variations on system
hydrogeodynamics.
21
Monitoring the Roadside Springs of Pennsylvania
James A Clark, Penn State Extension Educator, McKean County, Diane Oleson, Penn State
Extension Educator, York County, Bryan Swistock, Penn State Extension Water Specialist, Penn
State University
Roadside springs are a source of drinking water in Pennsylvania, but little is known about the
quality of these water supplies. The Penn State Water Resources Extension Team conducted a
survey of water quality from 35 heavily used roadside springs between April and August of
2013. The objective of the survey was to determine the drinking water safety of these springs
and to increase awareness about the use of roadside springs for drinking water supplies. The 35
roadside springs were mostly located within PennDOT road rights-of-way in 19 counties. Each
sample was analyzed for 20 common inorganic and microbiological water quality parameters by
the Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory. Overall, 97% of the roadside
springs failed at least one drinking water standard. The most common health-related pollutants
were coliform bacteria (91%), E. coli bacteria (34%), and lead (3%). Other common pollutants
that could cause various tastes or other aesthetic issues included corrosive water (89%), low pH
(40%), sediment (31%), iron (6%) and manganese (6%). Several pollutants were not found in
excessive concentrations including aluminum, nitrate, arsenic, barium, copper and
chloride. These results suggest that untreated water from roadside springs should generally be
avoided as a source of drinking water.
Presence of Antibiotics in Groundwater at the Living Filter of Penn State University
Alison M. Franklin, Danielle M. Andrews and John E. Watson, Ecosystem Science and
Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
The discovery of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wastewater effluent and recent
rises in antibiotic resistance within clinical health settings have resulted in a need to quantify
antibiotics in the environment to evaluate impacts on susceptible organisms and public health.
This study’s objective was to determine antibiotic concentrations in wastewater influent,
effluent, and groundwater at Penn State’s Living Filter, a wastewater irrigated site, in central
Pennsylvania. Penn State uses this wastewater irrigation system to promote water reuse and has
been in full-scale operation since the 1980s. Effluent from the local wastewater treatment plant is
used to irrigate cropped, forested and grassed lands at 5 cm per week year-round. Preliminary
analysis of effluent samples using quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF) resulted
in four antibiotics of interest - sulfamethoxazole (SXM), trimethoprim (TRM), ofloxacin (OFL),
and lincomycin (LIN). Research over the last decade has shown that these antibiotics are present
in waterways nation-wide at levels that may cause toxicity in susceptible organisms or increase
antibiotic resistance. Following QTOF analysis, concentrations of SXM, TRM, OFL, and LIN in
water samples were determined using a tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer. Data will be
presented that shows quantification of these antibiotics in influent, effluent, and groundwater.
22
Groundwater Availability in the Appalachian Plateaus
Kurt J. McCoy, US Geological Survey, 1730 E Parham Rd, Richmond VA 23228, 804-261-2656,
[email protected], Dennis W. Risser, US Geological Survey, 215 Limekiln Rd, 717-730-6911,
[email protected]
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Groundwater Resources Program is conducting an assessment of
groundwater availability throughout the United States to gain a better understanding of the status
of the Nation’s groundwater resources and how changes in land use, water use, and climate may
affect those resources. The Appalachian Plateau groundwater availability study has recently
been initiated to quantify current groundwater resources in Permian-, Pennsylvanian-, and
Mississippian-age aquifers. The study will evaluate how groundwater resources have changed
over time, and provide the foundational groundwater-related datasets for other Federal and State
water-resource investigations. The intent of the study is to improve datasets for adaptive
management of drinking-water resources, aquatic ecosystems, and continued energy resource
development in the region. A better understanding of groundwater availability in the
Appalachian Plateaus thus plays a central role in sustained economic development of the region.
What Old Maps Can Tell You About Groundwater Resources
Linda Musser, The Pennsylvania State University
Beyond the groundwater reports and studies produced by agencies such as the PA Department of
Environmental Protection and the U.S. Geological Survey, there is a wealth of useful information
about groundwater from other sources in libraries, particular in map collections. This
presentation or poster will illustrate some useful map resources, with a particular focus on the
usefulness of fire insurance maps to inform monitoring activities. Fire insurance maps show
very specific details of towns such as the location of industries and related activities. For
example, a map from the 1920s might show the location of an abattoir that, while closed, may
still pose an environmental hazard.
23
Groundwater Level Monitoring Wells in Adams County, PA
James B. Palmer, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, [email protected] and
Adam McClain, Adams County Conservation District, [email protected].
Unused groundwater wells were identified, evaluated for lack of interference from pumped wells
and were used to monitor groundwater conditions in Adams County, PA. Water levels in these
wells have been measured synoptically once per month since January, 2011. After collection in
the field, the data were submitted to the USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center for quality
control. The data were used in the development of a Critical Area Resource Plan (CARP) for the
Marsh and Rock creek watersheds. In 2011, these watersheds were declared a Critical Water
Planning Area under the authority of Pennsylvania Act 220 of 2002. The data are also used by
the Adams County Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC) to monitor groundwater
levels in the county. The data demonstrate that water table elevations are highest in the late
winter and spring, dropping in summer and rebounding starting in the fall and early winter. This
is consistent with a baseflow recession index calculated for the Monocacy River near Bridgeport,
MD USGS stream gage, five miles downstream of the confluence of Marsh and Rock creeks.
There is anecdotal evidence for increased depth to water and reduced stream flows during
summer, which is supported by this water level data.
ELANCO (Eastern Lancaster County) Wellhead Protection Committee
Robert R. Rissler, ELANCO Source Water Protection Committee Chairman
In 1990, four municipalities in Eastern Lancaster County (Terre Hill and New Holland
Boroughs, East Earl and Earl Townships) formed the ELANCO Wellhead Protection Committee.
Our goal was to develop a plan to protect our public water supplies, which are principally served
by ground water wells. Our chief concerns were the threat of a proposed hazardous waste dump
in an old mine, located in our regional aquifer recharge area and the impacts of intensive
agriculture in the region. We received funding and assistance from EPA and PA DER to develop
the plan. The plan recommended placing land use restrictions in the wellhead protection areas.
However, since the majority of the restrictions would have impacted farm owners, some of the
Township supervisors were not willing to impose restrictions on these constituents. At about the
same time, the proposed permit for Hazardous Waste dump location was denied in a court battle.
With that threat removed the motivation of the Wellhead Protection Committee subsided.
Although the plan sat on a shelf for years, it was never forgotten. Instead of land use restrictions,
we focused on youth education. In 2006 we were awarded a Water Resources Education
Network (WREN) Grant to purchase ground water and surface water demonstration models, and
develop brochures and placemats. We visited one-room schools to demonstrate ground water
and surface water protection to future land stewards. In 2008, with new members in some of the
municipalities, the group expressed an interest in updating the Wellhead Protection Plan, seeking
DEP approval, and following through with implementation. A new committee was formed, made
up of some of the original members along with some new members.
Agricultural impacts were still a concern with increasing raw water nitrate levels in some of the
wells. The wellhead protection area delineations were updated using a hydrogeologic model
(US Department of Defense Groundwater Modeling System (GMS) Version 5.1, an industry24
recognized groundwater flow software that couples a model design system and graphical analysis
tools with MODFLOW (A Modular Three-Dimensional Finite-Difference Ground-Water Flow
Model), PEST (Model-Independent Parameter Estimation), and MODPATH (a particle tracking
post-processing program) program codes), accomplished by DEP’s Source Water Protection
Technical Assistance Program’s contractor, SSM, Inc. The plan itself was developed by PA
Rural Water Association. And PA DEP approved the wellhead protection plans in 2012. After
numerous meetings and discussions about implementing various land use ordinances and zoning
options, the committee decided to educate the community rather than regulate, because
regulation is time consuming, unpopular and difficult to enforce. We believed that education
could yield the same results in a shorter amount of time. Serendipitously, the Lancaster County
Planning Commission was selected for a national pilot project through the National Source
Water Collaborative to bring conservation and water protection partners together to implement
strategies that meet mutual organizational goals and protect drinking water. The LCPC teamed
up with the ELANCO Source Water Protection Committee and numerous other partners
(Representatives from the Amish/Mennonite Community, PA DEP, PA Rural Water Association,
Lancaster County Conservation District, USDA/NRCS, Lancaster County Planning Commission,
Lancaster Farmland Trust, Water Resources Education Network (WREN), ELANCO School
District, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Penn State
Cooperative Extension, EPA, and a few for profit farm agencies) to develop a program to
educate the agricultural community on Best Management Practices (BMPs) that protect ground
water. We all worked together to plan a one day workshop entitled “Protecting Your Water
Begins with Your Land.” The Workshop featured presentations on local public and private water
supply protection, farming (BMPs), and real-life experiences from farmers. Over 400 people
attend the Workshop, on an icy day in early December, of which over 80% were farmers from
the ELANCO region and neighboring communities. With a large number of the farms in the
region being owned by Amish or (Plain-sect) Mennonite, having respected members of their
community serve on our committee was the key to our success. These members made personal
contact with their community and encouraged them to participate in the workshop. The farming
community as well as the rest of the community is very eager to learn how to take care of their
land in a way that provides the most protection for surface and ground water supplies. If we
educate and provide the tools, we feel that the farmers will implement BMPs quicker and with
less ill will than if we regulate them to do something that they don’t understand. Not only did the
farmers learn how to best farm their land to protect the water supplies, the Water Supply
Agencies also learned how the different farming practices can best protect their water supplies
from contaminants. This Workshop helped built trust between farmers and agencies. Already,
more educational workshops are being planned. We will follow up with the farmers that live and
work in our community and offer support and more information if needed. In addition, we are
working with our partners to develop future workshops that target different audiences such as
commercial and industrial facilities, and homeowners, to educate them on best management
practices to protect surface and ground water.
25
A Summary of Groundwater Data Compiled Between 2007-2014 by the Penn State
Agricultural Analytical Testing Lab
Bryan Swistock, Susan Boser, James Clark, Jennifer Fetter, Amy Galford, Diane Oleson, and
Dana Rizzo, Penn State Extension
The Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory offers water testing kits available
from county offices of Penn State Extension. The lab is PA DEP accredited offering a full suite
of inorganic and microbiological testing parameters. From 2007 through 2014, the lab received
5,823 drinking water samples from groundwater supplies. While 36% of drinking water clients
indicated that their water testing was routine (no specific concern), 64% of clients had a specific
reason for submitting a water sample to the lab. Of the 5,823 total samples, about 55% were from
raw (untreated) groundwater according to the client survey. Among untreated groundwater
samples, coliform and E. coli bacteria along with first-draw lead were the most common
parameters that exceeded health-based drinking water standards. Over 80% of the high lead
levels occurred in corrosive water supplies. Other aesthetic water quality problems were
common in untreated groundwater supplies including corrosivity, hardness and various metals.
Water treatment devices were present on many of these water supplies but only 3% of supplies
with high bacteria counts had disinfection treatment equipment. More information on the Penn
State drinking water testing program, including summaries of results for each county, can be
found at www.aasl.psu.edu.
Use of UV for 4-Log Virus Disinfection During Primary Disinfection of Groundwater
Greg Warkentin, Adam Festger, Scott Bindner, Trojan Technologies
A quarter of Pennsylvania’s population obtains their drinking water from groundwater resources
which due to its “natural” filtration, is generally considered to contain fewer pathogens than
surface waters. However, there are concerns that groundwater supplies are becoming
increasingly exposed to pathogens including bacteria and viruses due to aging and expanding
wastewater collection systems as well as failing septic systems. Some states, including
Pennsylvania, have mandated that all public water systems (PWS) supplying groundwater to
demonstrate 4-log (99.99%) disinfection of enteric viruses before distribution. As a result, some
PWS facilities have enhanced primary disinfection.
Recent advances in UV technology have resulted in third-party-validated UV systems designed
for 4-log inactivation of virus (including adenovirus) with a single low-pressure high-output
(LPHO) UV system. UV provides a low-cost approach to virus treatment that requires minimum
footprint and avoids excessive doses of chlorine and/or costly infrastructure improvements such
as contact tanks that may be required to maintain appropriate chlorine contact time.
Furthermore, decreased dependence on chemicals for disinfection reduces the potential for
harmful chemical by-products such as trihalomethanes (THM) and haloacetic acids (HAA), to be
generated during distribution.
This presentation discusses the benefits of using UV to meet state and federal mandates for
primary groundwater disinfection and highlights UV performance at a particular PWS site in
Pennsylvania where UV is installed for 4-log virus treatment.
26
List of Registrants – 2014 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium (as of 4/24/14)
A “**” in email column indicates registrant opted out of contact information
Last Name
Allison
Appleby
First
Name
David
Mike
Title
Email Address
Company
City, State
Manager, Hydrogeology
Supervisor, Groundwater
Project Review
PhD Student
Owner/Sr. Geoscientist
**
[email protected]
EQT
Susquehanna River Basin
Commission
University of Pittsburgh
ECHELON Applied
Geochemistry
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Susquehanna River Basin
Commission
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Mulry and Cresswell
Environmental, Inc.
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Chesapeake Energy
Corp.
Elk County Conservation
District
Penn State Extension
Pittsburgh, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Arjmand
Baldassare
Sina
Fred
Barnes
Scott
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Barrick
Anna
Environmental Engineer
[email protected]
Bauman
Brent
Hydrogeologist
[email protected]
Berry
John
Geologic Specialist
[email protected]
Bienkowski
Hank
Bisko
David C.
Environmental Program
Manager
[email protected]
Blankenship
Regulatory Affairs
Representative I
Watershed Specialist
[email protected]
Bonfardine
Anna
Liese
Kim
Boser
Susan
[email protected]
Bowling
G. Patrick
Water Resources
Educator
Source Water
Coordinator
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Master Well Owner
Network
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Penn State University
United State Geological
Survey
Bucks County
Department of Health
ECHELON Applied
Geochemistry
Penn State Extension
Chesapeake Energy
Corp.
Farnham & Associates,
Inc
Susquehanna River Basin
Commission
Meiser & Earl, Inc.
ClearWater Conservancy
Harrisburg, PA
Brooks
Julie
Volunteer
[email protected]
Brusse
William
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Cain
Campbell
Molly
James
Undergraduate Student
Director PA WSC
[email protected]
[email protected]
Carlson
Arthur
Soil Scientist
[email protected]
Chapman
Liz
Geochemist
[email protected]
Clark
Cleveland
James A.
Scott
Extension Educator
Environmental Engineer II
[email protected]
[email protected]
Coleman
Lynn
Executive Assistant
[email protected]
Cook
Jay
Hydrologist
[email protected]
Crowell
Davis
Bryan
Lori
[email protected]
[email protected]
Dedic
Deshpande
Nebojsa
Manasi
Project Geoscientist
Water Resources
Coordinator
Geologist
Fixed Utility Analyst
Trainee
Tetra Tech, Inc.
PA Public Utility
Commission
Gilbertsville, PA
Harrisburg, PA
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
**
[email protected]
27
Pittsburgh, PA
Murrysville, PA
Philipsburg, PA
Williamsport, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Philipsburg, PA
Glenmoore, PA
Philipsburg, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Ridgway, PA
Beaver, PA
University Park, PA
Philipsburg, PA
University Park, PA
New Cumberland,
PA
Lenhartsville, PA
Murrysville, PA
Smethport, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Clarks Summit, PA
Harrisburg, PA
State College, PA
State College, PA
Devilbiss
Tom
[email protected]
Carroll County
Government
Westminster, MD
[email protected]
Foundation for PA
Watersheds
Catalyst Energy, Inc.
Pennsylvania Game
Commission
Alexandria, PA
Sean
Deputy Director, Land
Use, Planning &
Development
Grant and Project
Consultant
Vice President of Geology
Chief, Division of
Environmental Planning
and Habitat Protection
Fixed Utility Engineer
Diehl
Branden
DiGnazio
DiMatteo
Frank
Michael
Donnelly
Harrisburg, PA
Droese
Marco
Sr. Hydrogeologist
[email protected]
Eaby
Todd
Manager, Project Review
[email protected]
Eby
James
Principal/Senior
Hydrogeologist
[email protected]
PA Public Utility
Commission
Mulry and Cresswell
Environmental, Inc.
Susquehanna River Basin
Commission
Meiser & Earl, Inc.
Eppley
Barry
Emporium, PA
Evans
Peter
Professional Geologist
[email protected]
Farnham
Daniel
President
[email protected]
Fennessey
Ferraro
Fetter
Larry
JoAnne
Jennifer
**
**
[email protected]
PA Dept. of Conservation
and Natural Resources
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Farnham & Associates,
Inc.
Penn State University
PA SEC - Indiana County
Penn State Extension
Finton
Fowler
Chris
Lara
[email protected]
[email protected]
ARM Group, Inc.
Penn State University
State College, PA
University Park, PA
Franklin
Alison
[email protected]
Penn State University
University Park, PA
Frey
Jason
[email protected]
Mercersburg, PA
Frier
member
[email protected]
Fruchtl
Mary
Carol
Brenda
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Fry
Ed
Geologist
[email protected]
Gardner
Michael
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Genchur
Matt
[email protected]
Giacobbe
Anthony
Source Water Protection
Program Manager
Regional Engineer
Giddings
Todd
President
[email protected]
Gillen
Tim
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Goode
Greeley
Daniel
Ben
Research Hydrologist
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
[email protected]
Grieve
Guiseppe
Paul
Al
[email protected]
[email protected]
Master Well Owner
Network
Potter Township
Planning Commission
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Pennsylvania Game
Commission
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Pennsylvania Rural
Water Association
PA DCNR - Bureau of
Forestry
Todd Giddings and
Associates, Inc.
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
USGS
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Penn State University
SSM Group, Inc.
Gutshall
Kelly
**
LandStudies
Lititz, PA
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Volunteer
Watershed/Youth
Development Educator
Senior Hydrogeologist
Senior Lecturer/Research
Fellow
Graduate Research
Assistant
Volunteer
Manager, Water
Resources
President
**
28
Pittsburgh, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Glenmoore, PA
Harrisburg, PA
State College, PA
Norristown, PA
Clarks Summit, PA
University Park, PA
New Florence, PA
Dauphin, PA
Centre Hall, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Greensburg, PA
Bellefonte, PA
Perkasie, PA
State College, PA
Knox, PA
Lawrenceville, NJ
Philadelphia, PA
University Park, PA
Reading, PA
Gutshall
Andrew
Area Environmental
Manager
Environmental
Compliance Specialist
Chair
**
Lehigh Hanson, Inc.
Allentown, PA
Hafer
Jonathan
[email protected]
Chief Oil & Gas, LLC
Montoursville, PA
Hameister
Dennis
[email protected]
Centre Hall, PA
John
Environmental Program
Manager
[email protected]
Hartman
Sean
Hydrogeologist
[email protected]
Haufler
Havice
Mike
Derrick
Hydrogeologist
Geologist
[email protected]
[email protected]
Heilman
Randall
[email protected]
Hengst
Bradley
Henry
Herr
Richard
Rebecca
Hill
Michael
Senior Community
Planner
Water Quality
Coordinator
P.G.
Sr. Environmental
Scientist
Geologist
Horansky
Ronald
Watershed Manager
[email protected]
James
Arthur
[email protected]
Jones
D. Scott
Project
Manager/Geologist
Licensed Professional
Geologist
Spring Creek Watershed
Commission
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Carroll County
Government
Hydro-Terra Group
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Lancaster County
Planning Commission
Dover Township, York
County
Professional Geologist
ECHELON Applied
Geochemistry
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
CH2M HILL
Hamilton
Greensburg, PA
Katz
none
[email protected]
Kerstner
Harvey
M.
Kenneth
Director
[email protected]
Kilmer
Michael
Student
[email protected]
Knight
Kunz
Lee
Paul
Stephen
Joseph
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Lester
Brett
Lindsey
Bruce
PA State Climatologist
Senior Ecologist
Chief, Bureau of Oil and
Gas Planning and
Program Management
Project
Manager/Geologist
Hydrologist
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Master Well Owner
Network
Pennsylvania Ground
Water Association
The Pennsylvania State
University
Penn State University
Schmid & Company, Inc.
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
CH2M HILL
Long
Tim
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
New Cumberland,
PA
Huntingdon, PA
Machusick
Martin
Matthew
Rock
Hydrogeologist
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
[email protected]
Mattucci
Anthony
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Maxwell
McCamley
Stephen
Michael
P.G.
[email protected]
[email protected]
McCoy
Kurt
Hydrologist
[email protected]
United State Geological
Survey
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Leidos Engineering, LLC
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
CH2M HILL
McCamley
Hydrogeology, LLC
United State Geological
Survey
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
29
Williamsport, PA
Westminster, MD
Westminster, MD
Harrisburg, PA
Lancaster, PA
Jacobus, PA
State College, PA
Murrysville, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Greensburg, PA
Downingtown, PA
Montoursville, PA
Easton, PA
Nicholson, PA
University Park, PA
Media, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Philadelphia, PA
Exton, PA
Greensburg, PA
Williamsport, PA
Philadelphia, PA
Schwenksville, PA
Richmond, VA
McFeaters
Scott
Hydrogeologist
[email protected]
McNally
Miller
Joe
Chad
Principal Hydrogeologist
Environmental Engineer
Manager
[email protected]
[email protected]
Miller
Jeffrey
Hydrogeologist 1
[email protected]
Mital
John
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Mittner
David
Environmental Program
Manager
[email protected]
Mostoller
David
Senior Project Manager Hydrogeologist
[email protected]
Mundell
Murphy
Scott
Hugh
Musser
Nasilowski
Linda
Ignacy
Librarian
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
[email protected]
Neal
Neboga
Andrew
Victoria
Watershed Specialist
Geologist
[email protected]
[email protected]
Nemec
Frank
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Nicholson
Walter
Director of Operations
[email protected]
Oldhouser
Serena
Licensed Professional
Geologist
**
Oleson
Olmsted
Diane
Charles
[email protected]
[email protected]
Painter
Jeffrey
Educator
Supervisor Environmental
Geologist
Palmer
James
Senior Hydrogeologist
[email protected]
Parikh
Parimal
Civil Engineer Manager
Hydraulic
[email protected]
Pierson
Pirrone
Port
Jacob
Eric
Catherine
Rohr
Carl
Snelling
Hydrogeologist
Student
Geologic Specialist
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
**
Hunter
Master Well Owner
Volunteer
Board of Directors
Ramasamy
Randolph
Shaker
Amy
Professor & Chairperson
Sr. Geologic Scientist
[email protected]
[email protected]
Reardon
Richard
Reese
Reichart
Stuart
Bob
[email protected]
[email protected]
Geologist supervisor
Executive Director
[email protected]
[email protected]
30
Susquehanna River Basin
Commission
GeoServices, Ltd
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
RETTEW Associates, Inc.
Harrisburg, PA
SSM Group, Inc.
Howard County
Government
Penn State University
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Penn State University
PA DCNR - Topogeo
Survey
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Williamsport Municipal
Water Authority
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Penn State Extension
Chesapeake Energy
Corp.
Pennsylvania Game
Commission
Interstate Commission
on the Potomac River
Basin
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Lock Haven University
Lock Haven University
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Master Well Owner
Network
Pennsylvania Ground
Water Association
Mansfield University
PA DCNR - Bureau of
Forestry
Highpointe Oil and Gas,
LLC
PA Geological Survey
Pennsylvania Ground
Water Association
Reading, PA
Columbia, MD
Camp Hill, PA
Williamsport, PA
Ebensburg, PA
Philipsburg, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Williamsport, PA
University Park, PA
Pottsville, PA
University Park, PA
Middletown, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Williamsport, PA
Harrisburg, PA
York, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Rockville, MD
Harrisburg, PA
S. Williamsport, PA
Lock Haven, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Hershey, PA
Orefield, PA
Mansfield, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Indiana, PA
Middletown, PA
Spring Grove, PA
Reichert
Rebecca
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Reisch
Chad
Geologic Specialist
[email protected]
Ribbons
Joan
Community Nurse
[email protected]
Rice
Michael
[email protected]
Richenderfer
Jim
Fixed Utility Analyst
Trainee
Senior Science Advisor
Risser
Dennis
Hydrologist
[email protected]
Rissler
Robert
[email protected]
Rizzo
Dana
[email protected]
Penn State Extension
Greensburg, PA
Rogers
Ryder
Lucinda
Robert
[email protected]
[email protected]
Deborah
Sauls
Charlene
Licensed Professional
Geologist
**
Schreffler
Curtis
Associate Director
[email protected]
Sellner
Kevin
Executive Director
[email protected]
Senior
Lisa
Evergreen Conservancy
PA DCNR - Bureau of
Forestry
PA Public Utility
Commission
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
United State Geological
Survey
Chesapeake Research
Consortium
U.S. Geological Survey
Indiana, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Sagerer
Mayor/Public Works
Superintendent
Water Resources
Educator
President
Ecological Program
Specialist
Fixed Utility Analyst
PA Public Utility
Commission
Susquehanna River Basin
Commission
United State Geological
Survey
Terre Hill Borough
Sharp
Bill
Member
[email protected]
State College, PA
Sigouin
Mark
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Sinclair
Cheryl
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Slater
Nancy
[email protected]
Slocum
Sloto
Reagyn
Ronald
Senior Regulatory
Geologist
Regulatory Lead
Hydrologist
Spring Creek Watershed
Commission
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Cabot Oil and Gas
Smith
Michael
W.
District Mining Manager
[email protected]
Sokol
Andrew
Senior Geologist
[email protected]
Sparks
Shaun
Assistant Counsel
[email protected]
Speelman
Kerry
Geologist
[email protected]
Stephens
Mark
Licensed Professional
Geologist
[email protected]
Sterling
Stipe
Suri
Afton
John
Rominder
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Swistock
Bryan
Regulatory Analyst
Director of Geosciences
Professor and
department chair
Water Resources
Specialist
Pennsylvania Public
Utility Commission
Pennsylvania Game
Commission
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Southwestern Energy
RETTEW Associates, Inc.
Temple University
[email protected]
Penn State Extension
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
31
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Community Nurse
Southwestern Energy
United State Geological
Survey
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Consultant
Greensburg, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Pine Grove Mills,
PA
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg, PA
New Cumberland,
PA
Terre Hill, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg, PA
New Cumberland,
PA
Edgewater, MD
Exton, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Williamsport, PA
New Kensington,
PA
Tunkhannock, PA
Exton, PA
Philipsburg, PA
Newtown Square,
PA
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Williamsport, PA
Tunkhannock, PA
Lancaster, PA
Philadelphia, PA
University Park, PA
Taft
Thomspon
William
Don
Professional Geologist
Account Manager
[email protected]
[email protected]
Thorp
Ronald
Geologist
[email protected]
Turner
Ryan
Senior Hydrogeologist
[email protected]
Tuzinski
Jani
Fixed Utility Manager
[email protected]
Tyson
Justin
Construction Engineer
**
Valvik
Vogel
Warkentin
Warren
Jeff
Peter
Greg
Robert J
Senior Geologist
Senior Hydrogeologist
Product Manager
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Weaver
Susan
Environmental Engineer
Consultant
[email protected]
Wendel
Wilson
Paul
Herbert
Assistant Professor
Member
[email protected]
[email protected]
Wood
Michael
President
[email protected]
Yeager
Tom
Professional Geologist
[email protected]
Young
Maggi
[email protected]
Yoxtheimer
Yu
Dave
Hui
Zbur
Steve
Environmental
Representative I
Extension Associate
Assistant Professor
(Research)
President
Zimmerman
David
Chairman, Board of
Supervisors/Roadmaster
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
32
Eastern Industries, Inc.
Shlumberger Water
Services
Curry and Associates,
Inc.
Talisman Energy USA,
Inc.
PA Public Utility
Commission
Southwestern EnergyWyoming County
Tetra Tech Inc.
ARM Group, Inc.
Trojan Technologies
Master Well Owner
Network
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Otterbein University
Pennsylvania Ground
Water Association
Woodland Design
Associates, Inc.
PA Department of
Environmental
Protection
Chesapeake Energy
Corp.
PSU Marcellus Center
Temple University
Center Valley, PA
Kitchener, Ontario
CORE Environmental
Services, Inc.
East Earl Township Lancaster County
Allison Park, PA
Clearfield, PA
Warrendale, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Tunkhannock, PA
Bethlehem, PA
Hershey, PA
London, Ontario
Greenfield Twp,
PA
Harrisburg, PA
Westerville, OH
Mineral Point, PA
Beach Lake, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg, PA
University Park, PA
Philadelphia, PA
East Earl, PA
Visit us at: www.depweb.state.pa.us
33
Overview
The Pennsylvania Center for Water Resources Research (WRRC) is part of the National Institutes for
Water Resources. We are one of 54 federally funded state and territorial water research centers created
by the Water Resources Research Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-379 codified at 42 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.), which
authorized the establishment of a water resources research and technology institute or center in each
state. The water resources institutes are required by law to be located at each state’s land grant
university (or some other site designated by the governor). Pennsylvania's WRRC is located at the
Pennsylvania State University.
The WRRC is part of the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment (PSIEE), which is the
central coordinating structure for interdisciplinary research at The Pennsylvania State University. PSIEE's
mission is the discovery and transfer of knowledge in the use and management of environmental
resources. The Institute is dedicated to research, information dissemination and public education, and
the training of graduate students.
Core funding for WRRC consists of a base grant from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which
varies each year from $85-92K. The bulk of these funds are distributed to water resource researchers in
Pennsylvania through a competitive grant program, where these federal monies must be matched with
non-federal funds on a 2:1 basis.
Mission
The mission of the Pennsylvania WRRC is stipulated by the Federal Water Resources Research Act and
has three objectives: 1) To plan, facilitate, and conduct research to help resolve local, state and
national water resources problems; 2) To train water scientists and engineers through participation in
water resources research and outreach; 3) To promote technology transfer and the dissemination and
application of research results.
Research Focus
With a focus on water problems pertinent to
Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic region, research
areas include water quality and quantity management,
hydrologic model development and assessment and fate
and impact of pollutants. The center maintains a fully
equipped and staffed inorganic Water Quality
Laboratory. A water resources extension specialist,
employed jointly by the center and the College of
Agricultural Sciences, is a liaison between scientific and
technological community and the public.
Visit us on the web at: www.pawatercenter.psu.edu
34
35
Master Well Owner Network
The Need
Over three million rural homeowners and farmers in Pennsylvania get their water from a private
well, spring or cistern. But, Pennsylvania remains one of the few states that lacks regulations
on private water supplies. Research has found that approximately 40 percent of these private
water supplies will fail at least one Safe Drinking Water Standard. Rural families need education
on methods to properly manage and protect private water supplies to ensure safe drinking
water. A large network of trained volunteers provides access to this important, basic education.
What is MWON?
The Master Well Owner Network (MWON) is a program designed to train volunteers throughout
Pennsylvania about proper location,
construction, testing, maintenance and
treatment of private water wells, springs and
cisterns. Volunteers can attend Saturday
workshops or a six week online course. Course
content is taught by experts from our sponsors
including Penn State Extension, the
Pennsylvania Ground Water Association,
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection and the Pennsylvania Rural Water
Association. Each trained MWON volunteer is
asked to pass along what they learn to private
water supply owners in their community through
MWON volunteers listen to a presentation by a
events, presentations, or conversations.
professional well driller about proper water well
construction.
The Impact
Since its inception in 2004, over 600 MWON
volunteers have been trained in nearly every
county of Pennsylvania. These volunteers have
provided direct consultation to over 35,000
private water supply owners while reaching
another 100,000 through newsletters and
mailings.
To learn more about MWON and our activities,
visit our web site at
http://extension.psu.edu/water/mwon
A MWON volunteer educates a private water
supply owner at Ag Progress Days.
36
SAVE THE DATE!
May 6, 2015
Celebrating National Drinking Water Week, this exciting forum will share the latest information
and ways to protect groundwater resources throughout the state. Abstracts will be accepted for
oral and poster presentations on a wide range of topics relevant to groundwater resources in
Pennsylvania including:
 Groundwater processes
 Wellhead protection
 Water well studies
 Emerging contaminants
 Data availability
 Groundwater monitoring
 Aquifer studies
 Groundwater/surface water interactions
 Issues related to energy extraction
 Education and outreach
Expected Audience: researchers, students, watershed and
conservation advocates, professionals including water
suppliers, county & municipal officials/planners, municipal
engineers/consultants, local/state/federal water resource
agency staff, interested residents
A call for abstracts will be released in this fall at:
http://agsci.psu.edu/pawaterabstract
.
Questions? Contact Bryan Swistock at 814-863-0194 or email [email protected]
37