 |
NEWS RELEASE
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308 Main Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120
CONTACT: Susan Rickens (DEP)
(717) 787-1323
LIVE WEBCAST TO HELP RURAL RESIDENTS ENSURE SAFE DRINKING WATER
HARRISBURG (Mar. 27) — On behalf of Gov. Mark Schweiker,
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary David
E. Hess today announced that DEP, in cooperation with the Penn
State College of Agricultural Sciences and GreenWorks.tv, will
host a live Internet webcast Mar. 27, on contamination problems
in private wells, springs and cisterns. The free webcast will
be broadcast live from 7 to 8:45 p.m. EST on www.GreenWorks.tv.
"Identifying water quality risks and taking steps to address
them is key to enhancing the safety of private water supplies,"
Hess said. "Because private water systems are largely unregulated
-- and their owners have sole responsibility for their management
-- water quality and quantity problems are all too common."
The webcast is aimed at providing rural residents with the information
they need to cost-effectively maintain a safe and plentiful
water supply.
|
Download the Safe
Drinking WaterPowerpoint Presentation now. Print it out
and follow along!
(Size of Download: ~4 MB)
To save the file, right click on the link above
and choose "Save Target As" (In Internet Explorer)
or "Save Link As" (In Netscape)
Download the Powerpoint viewer from Microsoft now.
|
During the webcast, Penn State water resource
specialists will cover drinking water standards, proper well
construction and location, land-use activities associated with
individual pollutants, water testing and water treatment. Water
conservation and managing a private water supply in times of
drought also will be discussed.
"If you are one of the estimated 3 million Pennsylvanians
who rely on a private well, spring or cistern, chances are the
tap water you drink contains some form of contamination,"
said Penn State Cooperative Extension Water Resource Specialist.
"Through this webcast, residents can learn how to avoid,
detect and treat the contaminants they are likely to find in
their water.
There are about one million private water supplies in Pennsylvania,
mostly springs and wells fed by groundwater, and about 20,000
new wells are drilled in the state every year. Studies show
that between 60 and 70 percent of these private sources don't
meet all drinking water safety standards.
Common problems in private water supplies include bacterial
contamination, lead, radon, nitrate, iron, acidity and corrosivity.
During the webcast, Penn State water resource specialists will
offer tips and advice and will answer questions submitted via
telephone and fax from the audience. At the downlink sites across
the state, Penn State Cooperative Extension agents will be available
for consultation.
"Safe drinking water is vital," GreenWorks.tv Executive
Producer Timothy J. Schlitzer said. "This is a great example
of how high-tech communications can help hundreds of people
work to protect our most precious resource."
GreenWorks.tv is a production of the Environmental Fund for
Pennsylvania with funding provided by DEP and other sponsors.
EFP is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit umbrella organization with
19 participating organizations throughout the state.
Sites referred to in Webcast:
Penn State College
of Agricultural Sciences Publications
Penn State Water Quality Extension Group
Learn More:
GreenWorks
drought information page
PA
DEP Drought Information Center
Learn more about droughts and find out if your county is under
a drought watch or warning.
Need help making sure you can see the webcast? Click here for
our help page. (Note-
a new browser window will open) |
|
|
To watch our videos online, you need Real Player. Don't have Real Player?
Download it here for free.
