Private Water Supply A Pennsylvania Perspective

1. Private Water SupplyA Pennsylvania Perspective Mr. Brian Oram, PG Professional Geologist, PASEO, Licensed Well Driller Lab Director, Center for Environmental Quality Wilkes University GeoEnvironmental Sciences and Engineering Department Wilkes Barre, PA 18766 http://www.water-research.net

2. Center for Environmental Quality Non-profit/ equal opportunity employer, is operated and managed, within the GeoEnvironmental Sciences and Engineering Department Outreach Programs • Environmental and Professional Education and Training • Applied Research • Community and Business Outreach Programs Website: http://www.water-research.net

3. Keys to a Safe Drinking Water • The Sanitary Survey- Proper Site Location • State Federal and Local Regulations • Types of Well Water Sources • Well Drilling and Construction • Initial Water Testing • Well Water Conditioning or Treatment • Well Maintenance

4. Sanitary Survey and Drilling Site Selection Well Construction Standards Location of Hazardous Sites or Activities Impact on Surrounding Users Testing and Permitting Requirements System Monitoring

5. Sources of Contamination Causes of Contamination Improper Waste DisposalImproper Well ConstructionPoor Site SelectionWells Not Properly AbandonedImproper Waste StorageLack of Information on Hazardous Sites or Activities (Partial Listing)

6. State and Federal Regulation • Currently No Federal Or Pennsylvania State Regulations Related to Private Water Well Construction. • Pennsylvania has over 1 million households on Private Wells. • Pennsylvania one of 4 states that has no private water well construction standards, via regulation. • PA does not really have a comprehensive certification program for drilling contractors and operators.

7. State Regulations (Existing/ Proposed) Pennsylvania Has Drillers Licensing Programhttp://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/groundwater/act610.htm Act 537: Chapter 73: Minimum Isolation Distance On-lot Septic System and Components and Private Well House Bill 1591Proposed Legislation: Private Well Construction Regulationshttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2001/0/HB1591P2920.HTM

8. Local Agency The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Surveyed second class townships across the state regarding water well ordinances and water well related problems. Of the 1,457 township across the state: • 601 townships responded to the survey • 39 of 601 townships maintain water well construction ordinances • 21 townships were considering and ordinance

9. Why an Ordinance? Primary reasons for the ordinances included: Improper Well Construction Incidents of Well Contamination Improper Siting Interconnection with Contaminated Site Induce Contamination – Lack of Grouting No Testing Requirements to ensure potability Overuse of the Groundwater Aquifer. Online Directory of State Water Well Ordinanceshttp://www.epa.gov/R5water/ordcom/

10. Well Isolation Distances MONTGOMERY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT INDIVIDUAL WATER SUPPLY WELL CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS (partial listing) Delineated wetlands or floodplains (25 feet) Surface waters (25 feet) Storm water Systems (25 feet) Spray Irrigation/ Septage Disposal (100 feet) Farm silos/manure storage (200 feet) Septic Systems (100 feet) Septic Tanks/Holding Tanks (50 feet) Chemical Storage/Preparation Area (300 feet) More Information at http://www.h2otest.com/regs/pa/montgomery/

11. Primary Aquifers in PA

12. Well Geology

13. Private Water Sources Wells

14. Unconsolidated Well Major ComponentsIntake ScreenGrave PackProtective CasingGroutWell Cap

15. Well Construction Open Hole Bedrock Well

16. Springs and Cisterns

17. Spring Water Geology Spring Discharge Associated with Impermeable Boundaries

18. Spring Water Geology Spring Associated with Bedrock Fracture

19. Spring Water Geology Groundwater Discharges Unconsolidated Material

20. Private Water SupplyA Pennsylvania Perspective Mr. Brian Oram, PG Professional Geologist, PASEO, Licensed Well Driller Lab Director, Center for Environmental Quality Wilkes University GeoEnvironmental Sciences and Engineering Department Wilkes Barre, PA 18766 http://www.water-research.net

21. Center for Environmental Quality Non-profit/ equal opportunity employer, is operated and managed, within the GeoEnvironmental Sciences and Engineering Department Outreach Programs • Environmental and Professional Education and Training • Applied Research • Community and Business Outreach Programs Website: http://www.water-research.net

22. Keys to a Safe Drinking Water • The Sanitary Survey- Proper Site Location • State Federal and Local Regulations • Types of Well Water Sources • Well Drilling and Construction • Initial Water Testing • Well Water Conditioning or Treatment • Well Maintenance

23. Periodically Inspect Drain Surface Water Away Install Sanitary Seal Annual Testing Maintain Records Start a Community Based Groundwater Education Program Proper Abandonment Chemical Storage, Disposal and Use Keep Wellhead Above Grade Proper Well Location Septic System Maintenance Recycle used Oil and Participate in Hazardous Chemical Disposal Programs Protect Your Water SourceThings You or Your Community Can Do

24. Why Test My Water ? A USGS survey found that 70% of private wells were contaminated. This contamination could result in acute or chronic health concerns. In general, there are no regulations related to well construction, placement, or required testing. It is up to you to determine the safety of your water. EPA recommends, at minimum, an annual water test for private wells.

25. Drinking Water Regulations The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), passed in 1974 and amended in 1986 and 1996, gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to set drinking water standards. These standards are divided into two broad categories: Primary Standards (NPDWR) and Secondary Standards (NSDWR).

26. Primary Standards (NPDWR) National Primary Drinking Water Regulations Primary standards protect drinking water quality by limiting the levels of specific contaminants that can adversely affect public health and are known or anticipated to occur in water. They take the form of Maximum Contaminant Levels or Treatment Techniques. There are over 100 chemical and biological primary drinking water standards, which include: trace metals, disinfection agents, disinfection by- products, radiological, microbiological agents, and organic chemicals. Examples: Arsenic, Lead, MTBE, total coliform, Giardia, Trihalomethanes, Asbestos, Copper, Benzene, Trichloroethane, etc.

27. Secondary Standards National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations These standards were established more for cosmetic effects (such as skin or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor or color) in drinking water. The secondary standards include: aluminum, chloride, color, corrosivity, fluoride, foaming agents, iron, manganese, odor, pH, silver, sulfate, total dissolved solids, and zinc.

28. What Should I Test The Selection of the Appropriate Testing Parameters Depends on YOUR Water • How does it taste? • Do you have odor problems ? • Are there any aesthetic problems, such as: color, turbidity, grittiness, or staining ? • Where are you located ? • How much do you want to spend ? Comprehensive testing can cost over $2500.00

29. Salty or Brackish Taste Alkali Taste Metallic or Bitter Taste High Sodium Elevated Hardness or alkalinity Corrosion, Low pH, high metallic content (Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb,Al, Zn) Taste Problems

30. Rotten Egg / Musty Odor Oily Methane Smell Chemical/ Solvent Sulfate, Sulfur, Nuisance Bacteria Gasoline, Oil Contamination or Nuisance Bacteria Organic Material or Natural Gas Industrial Chemicals Odors

31. Sediments and Stains Milky or Cloudy Precipitation of carbonates / sulfates, excessive air, suspended solids, aquifer material Bluish Green – Green Precipitates Copper, hardness, aggressive water and corrosion by-products, nuisance bacteria Blackish Tint or Black Slimes Reactions with manganese and possibly iron, nuisance bacteria Yellowish or Reddish Tint or Slimes Humic material, dissolved or precipitated iron, nuisance bacteria

32. Impacts Water Supply Known Hazards Areas • Waste Disposal Sites • Chemical Storage • Chemical Spills • Underground Storage • Pipelines • Sewage and Sludge Disposal Surrounding Water Users • Well Construction • Well Spacing • Water Withdrawal • Recharge Areas Land-use • Residential (Rural or Urban) • Industrial • Agricultural • Commercial • Undeveloped Woodland Water Source • Well, Spring, Cistern, Dug Well • Water Characteristics • Geology • Well Construction and Age • Distribution System Type / Age

33. Groundwater Pocono's Region Based on the geology of the Pocono's region, the Primary water quality problems are as follows: Corrosive Water Low pH Soft Water (low hardness) to Moderate Hardness Iron and Manganese Discolored Water – Reddish to Brown Tints Total Coliform Bacteria Sulfur Odors and Elevated Sulfates

34. Less Common Problems These water quality are not common to Groundwater in Pocono's Region. Elevated Nitrate- Nitrite LevelsRadon or RadiologicalOrganic Contamination Elevated Trace Metals (except corrosion by-products like Copper, Lead, Aluminum, Zinc)Salty or Brackish Water (some areas) Trihalomethanes Pathogenic Organisms

35. Coliform Bacteria Coliform BacteriaAbsent or < 1 colony/100 ml Testing PurposeUsed as an Indicator of Sanitary Condition of Water Source SourcesNatural Soil Bacteria Human and Animal Waste Insect Waste

36. Corrosive Water • Chemical or Biochemical Reaction between the water and metal surfaces. • The corrosion process is an oxidation/reduction reaction that returns refined or processed metal to their more stable ore state. • Corrosion can also be accelerated by: • 1) low pH; • 2) high flow rate within the piping; • 3) high water temperature; • 4) Chemistry of the water; and • 4) presence of suspended solids, such as sand.

37. Physical Signs of Corrosion Leaky Pipes Water Has Bitter Taste Greenish Blue Stains Red or Discolored Water Premature Failure of Water Heaters/ Heat Exchange Units Elevated Levels of Copper, Lead, Aluminum, Zinc, Iron, Chromium Check for Corrosion Testing for Cu and Pb and other metals and TDS Corrosivity Testing – Saturation Index Nuisance Bacteria Testing Evidence of Corrosion

38. pH pH < 7 acidic a pH > 7 basic NSDWR – 6.5 – 8.5 Problems • Bitter or Alkali Taste • Corrosion • Scale Formation • Leaching Metals

39. Water Hardness • The hardness of a water is a measure of the concentration of the multivalent cations (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, etc) associated with carbonates (CO3) . • Hardness is typically reported as mg /L as CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) • Grains per gallon (1 gpg (US) = 17.12 mg CaCO3/L ). • Hardness Classification: • Soft: 0 to 17 mg CaCO3/L • Slightly Hard: 17 to 60 mg/L; • Moderately Hard 60 to 120 mg/L • Hard 120 to 180 mg/L • Very Hard > 180 mg/L

40. Nitrate + Nitrite Drinking Water Standards(Primary) • Nitrate: 10 mg as N/ L • Nitrite: 1 mg N/L Health Concern • Blue Baby Syndrome- Methemoglobinemia Sources • Fertilizers • Human and Animal Waste • Non-anthropogenic sources (fixation, rock weathering) • Atmospheric Deposition

41. Nitrogen Cycle

42. Sulfates in Water Sulfates are a combination of sulfur and oxygen and are a part of naturally occurring minerals in some soil and rock formations that contain groundwater. The mineral dissolves over time and is released into groundwater. Hydrogen sulfide gas also occurs naturally in some groundwater. The gas is formed from decomposition of organic compounds contained within the bedrock. Problems are typically found in aquifers that are shale, siltstone, peat related, or near surface sources of organic material. Sulfur-reducing bacteria, use sulfur as an energy source and are the primary producers of large quantities of hydrogen sulfide. These bacteria chemically change natural sulfates in water to hydrogen sulfide

43. Problems with SulfatesNSDWR • Laxative Effect- MCL 250 mg/L • Form Precipitates on Piping and Fixtures • Rotten Egg Odors • Sewage Gas Odors • Corrosion • Water Heater Failure/Odors

44. Summary Keys to Safe Drinking Water (Private Well) Proper Handling of Chemicals and Waste Development of Local Standards Understand Your Source Annual Water Testing Public Education

45. Private Water SupplyA Pennsylvania Perspective Mr. Brian Oram, PG Professional Geologist, PASEO, Licensed Well Driller Lab Director, Center for Environmental Quality Wilkes University GeoEnvironmental Sciences and Engineering Department Wilkes Barre, PA 18766 http://www.water-research.net http://www.wilkes.edu