Have you ever had the drinking water from your well, spring, or cistern tested for lead and other health-related pollutants?  If not, here’s your chance!

Over 8,600 households in McKean County get their drinking water from a private source.  These residents are voluntarily responsible for testing and treating their own water.  About half of the private water systems in Pennsylvania fail at least one drinking water standard, but many pollutants have no obvious indicators.  The only way to be certain that water is safe to drink is to have it tested routinely by an accredited laboratory.

Penn State Extension will be offering a Private Water Supply Education and Water Testing Program on February 25, at 3:00 PM at the McKean County Department of Emergency Services 911 Center located at 17175 Route 6, Smethport, PA.  This program will cover how to protect, maintain, and test private water supplies.  With funding from a Pennsylvania Department of Health cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control, Environmental Health Capacity building initiative, no-cost drinking water testing will be provided to program participants. 

Each water supply will receive testing through a PA DEP state accredited water testing laboratory for coliform bacteria, E.coli bacteria, nitrate, manganese, arsenic, lead, copper, barium, and sodium.  Registration will be limited to approximately 20 households that use a private well, spring or cistern for their drinking water supply.  Registration and further information for this testing programs is available online at https://extension.psu.edu/private-water-supply-education-and-water-testing-workshop or by calling 1-877-345-0691.

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

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.