Web Based Mapping/ Water Quality Index Application is the Water Quality Index Calculator (http://www.water-research.net – Written by Mr. Brian Oram, PG)

Technology – Software

Mr. Oram has conducted research and consulting projects related to acid mine drainage ( AMD ), mine drainage, lake and stream monitoring programs, wetland creation and monitoring, filtration plant performance evaluations, testing new point of use water treatment devices and systems, hydrogeological evaluations, geological investigations, soils testing, soil morphological evaluations, water well drilling and construction, drinking water testing, mail order water testing kit program, private well water testing programs, and land reclamation. Mr. Oram has also been involved with Citizen Monitoring and other Environmental Training Programs for groups within the United States, Europe, and even the former Soviet Union.

The main reason is that most private wells and small water systems are not regulated by the EPA or the DEP in a given state and in Pennsylvania about 50% of private wells produce water that does not meet a primary health standard, i.e., Could Make the Well Owner Sick. Therefore, it is up to the individual private well owner to ensure that the water is safe. This website has been up and running for over 25 years with the primary mission of providing free information on this topic to well owners. We have had over 1,400,000 + unique visitors and many private well owners from throughout the world use this portal.

In Pennsylvania, we have found that typically at least 10 % of private well have one or more of these problems:
a. Low pH / corrosive water
b. Elevated Iron and/or Manganese
c. Elevated Bacteria (Actually it is 40 % to 50% for this parameter)

Less than 5 % of private wells have problems with methane gas, barium, alpha/beta, and other contaminants that would suggest a saline water source. In the middle, we have found about 5 to 10% may have problems with copper, lead, arsenic, and plasticizers.

Note- There are over 1 million private wells in Pennsylvania. Assume 3 citizens per household and 50 % of households having contaminated water, this means that 1.5 million citizens of the Commonwealth are Drinking Water that could make them SICK – This is a Health Crisis!
It is time to ACT. We know this information because of the hundreds of private well owners that have released their information to the Citizen Groundwater Database.
To Act, we recommend the following:

1. Get Educated and Informed.
2. Get Your Water Tested
3. Work as a Community to Develop Local and State Solutions

Using the book Field Manual for Water Quality Monitoring, the National Sanitation Foundation surveyed 142 people representing a wide range of positions at the local, state, and national level about 35 water quality tests for possible inclusion in an index. Nine factors were chosen and some were judged more important than others, so a weighted mean is used to combine the values.

(Continue reading at http://www.water-research.net – Written by Mr. Brian Oram, PG)

My Two Cents: Web Based Mapping/ Water Quality Index Application is the Water Quality Index Calculator, is an extremely valuable tool needed for homeowners to test their drinking water wells, share their information with other homeowners and locate problems and have them fixed. Mr. Brian Oram, PG is an extremely valuable asset in achieving this. I look forward in seeing this application expand providing more features that will help protect our water, and save lives. Read more about Brian Oram at B.F Environmental Consultants Inc. www.bfenvironmental.com