Free water testing available

From staff reports

Do you have a private drinking water well, spring, or cistern? Are you interested in learning more about how to protect, test, and treat your family’s drinking water?

Would you like to have your drinking water tested for lead and other health-related pollutants? If yes, here’s your chance.

Penn State Extension has once again received funding through the Pennsylvania Department of Health cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control, Environmental Health Capacity building initiative to provide no-cost drinking water testing to a limited number of homeowners in Pennsylvania using private water wells, springs, or cisterns.

To qualify for free water testing, Pennsylvanians must live in a household that uses a private water well, spring, or cistern as their primary source of drinking water and must register for and attend a one-hour educational webinar.

Webinars will be offered at 6 p.m. on March 7, noon on May 2 and 2 p.m. on June 29.

Registration for each event is required and limited to approximately 55 households.

After attending the webinar, homeowners will be mailed a water testing kit.

Each water supply will receive testing through the Penn State Ag Analytical Services Lab for coliform bacteria, E.coli bacteria, nitrate, manganese, arsenic, lead, copper, barium, and sodium.

Only one water test will be provided per household.

Registration and further information for this testing program is available at extension.psu.edu/private-water-supply-education-and-water-testing or by calling (877) 345-0691.

If you have any questions about this no-cost testing program, contact Danielle Rhea at (814) 849-7361 or drs5277@psu.edu.