ERIE, Pa. — Penn State Extension has received funding from the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide no-cost drinking water testing to a limited number of homeowners using private water wells, springs or cisterns in Erie County.
The testing is for private water supplies that are actively being used for drinking water in the household.
Camps or seasonal households that are not continuously used are not eligible for this program.
Water kits
Testing is limited to the first 45 households using a private well, spring or cistern that register by calling the Penn State Extension Erie County office at 814-825-0900.
(The office is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m.)
Once registered, pick up a drinking water test kit at the Erie County Extension office, 606 W. 2nd St., between Aug. 21-Sept. 1, during business hours.
Instructions on collecting the water samples are included in the kit. The kits are pre-paid for no-cost postage through UPS and should be dropped off at a UPS site for overnight shipment back to the Penn State water testing laboratory.
Depending on when you pick up your test kit, the deadline for water test kits from Erie County to arrive at the laboratory is either Sept. 13 or Sept. 20.
Testing
Individual water samples will be analyzed for numerous drinking water parameters including total coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, corrosivity, nitrate, arsenic, copper and lead.
Attend one of two separate one-hour workshops Oct. 11, at 2 p.m. or 6 p.m. at the Erie County Emergency Management Center, 2880 Flower Road, Erie, to get water test results.
Details
For more information contact Susan Boser, renewable natural resources, Penn State Extension Beaver County Office, at 724-774-3003, ext. 6 or smw16@psu.edu.
