| Problems with Pennsylvania water wells runs deep |
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By Debra Duncan VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH Sunday, March 8, 2009 There's some good news for the 3 million Pennsylvanians relying on private wells for drinking water, more than any other state except Michigan. Contamination in those 1 million private wells continues to drop, according to a new study. There is less contamination from lead or nitrates than 10 years ago. But the two-year study, by Penn State Cooperative Extension, found that 40 percent of 700 wells tested failed to meet the state's safe-drinking water standards. And most well owners were unaware of the problem. Bob Betts of Karns Road in Harrison knows about his problem. He and his wife are among 13 families who have private wells along the road near Allegheny Ludlum. He said none of the residents can use their well water for drinking. The Allegheny County Health Department tested 10 wells along the road in 2001 and found three contaminated with bacteria. One of them contained E. coli bacteria, which comes from human or animal waste and can cause serious gastrointestinal problems and even death. A second test by the health department in 2003 found that four of 10 wells had contamination from fecal coliform bacteria. The health department recommended that Karns residents not drink the water without treating it first. The state does not regulate private water wells nor require testing. Homeowners are pretty much on their own. Brian Swistock, Penn State Cooperative Extension water resources specialist, said the two-year study results were disappointing. "To see that four out of every 10 wells still had problems was discouraging," he said. "We were surprised to learn that most of the people with contaminated wells had no idea that there were problems with their water." Betts said tests show high levels of iron and E. coli in his well water. He has lived in the home with his wife for 52 years. He spends about $160 a month on two filters so he can use the rusty well water for laundry. But he buys about 12 one-gallon jugs of bottled water a week for drinking and cooking. Betts wants the Harrison Township Water Authority to extend public waterlines along Karns Road. "I've been trying for 15 years to get city water here," he said. His efforts have been to no avail -- even though the county health department has recommended it because of well contamination. It's an expensive project with little prospect of state or federal grants because there are so few houses along the road. Help from Allegheny County Guillermo Cole of the Allegheny County Health Department said about 5 percent of the homes in the county depend on private wells. That's 20,000 to 25,000 households. He said that number decreases each year with new housing developments and communities extending public waterlines into new areas. The health department will do free bacteria tests for county residents. Cole said the department will provide a water sample bottle and its lab will do the testing. He said that last year, the department received 102 water samples from residents with private wells; 29 tested positive for coliform bacteria. "We recommend people have their well water tested every six months because things can change in the groundwater," he said. But Valley-area residents living outside Allegheny County don't qualify for free testing. Helen Humphreys, Pittsburgh spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said, "People should be testing their wells on a regular basis. Groundwater can carry pollutants, such as fecal coliform. So not even caps on wells can protect against that sometimes. "With public water supplies, we have lots of required testing and maintenance that is constantly going on to ensure the water quality," she said. "So people with private wells have to maintain their water supply, as well. ''But the reality is that many people don't regularly test their wells. "If your well is in the vicinity of an industrial facility, for instance, you might want to test for a possible contaminant that the plant uses," she added. The DEP only does testing of private well water in rare cases -- such as when it is aware of contamination from mine discharge or an industrial site. Or after flooding when the governor has declared a state of emergency. State study The statewide study tested well water for coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, lead, arsenic, triazine pesticides and nitrates. About 33 percent of the wells had contamination from fecal coliform bacteria. Another 14 percent tested positive for E. coli bacteria. Most residents with private wells live in rural areas, so most also have on-site sewer systems. And homes with septic systems were more likely to have bacterial contamination and E. coli than those connected to public sewer lines, the study found. The Penn State study credited a 1991 federal ban on the use of lead in well construction materials with the reduction of lead contaminants in the well water tested. The study was funded by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, based in Harrisburg. It was conducted with volunteers. More public waterlines There has been a statewide effort in the past decade to expand public water supplies to developing regions and water areas threatened by pollutants. PennVEST, the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, makes water quality a priority for grants. But in general, PennVEST has provided grants only for public water improvements. Harrison Township Water Authority manager Chuck Craig said he applied last year for a grant on behalf of the Karns Road residents through U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire's office. It was denied, probably because of the low number of residents who would benefit, Craig said. The authority applied for a $537,000 grant, the estimate to extend township waterlines about 5,300 feet. The cost to individual families to extend waterlines is often high, especially in areas with few residents. Tap-in fees for public waterlines often are $6,000 a house, plus the cost of running a line from a house to the main line. Debra Duncan can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 724-226-4668. Images and text copyright © 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co. Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com |
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