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April Feature:
Source Water Protection Plans Key to Protecting Water Supplies from Agricultural Pollution
 | | Nitrogen is being applied to growing corn in a contoured, no-tilled field. Applying smaller amounts of nitrogen several times over the growing season rather than all at once at or before planting helps the plants use the nitrogen rather than have it enter water supplies. Photo courtesy of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. |
It is finally spring again in Pennsylvania. As shades of green begin to creep across the land, the farmers of our state get down to business -- and what a big business it is! Over 7.7 million acres of farmland produce $5.9 billion in agricultural products each year, according to the PA Department of Agriculture. Adding associated businesses, like food processing and transportation, brings the total up to $57 billion in revenue annually. These totals make farming the most economically important business in Pennsylvania.
Of course, water is essential to farming -- livestock drink it and crops may require irrigation, using roughly 10% of the water consumed in Pennsylvania every day (according to the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences). Given its top place in our state's economy, it is no surprise that agriculture also presents a leading source of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution of the very water that farmers themselves and other families need. Agricultural NPS pollution includes runoff to waterways from farm fields, fertilizer and pesticides, soil erosion, and bacterial contamination from livestock. Read more...
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First U.S. City Bans Plastic Water Bottles. Are More to Follow?
Where does bottled water come from?
 | | Image used with permission from Changes in Longitude |
Chances are that you, or someone you know, is an avid bottled water drinker. Per-person annual consumption of bottled water hit a new peak of 29.2 gallons in 2011, according to data from Beverage Marketing. Do you know where your bottled water comes from? It would be safe to bet it does not come from a pure, natural spring in the mountains of Switzerland. About 40% of bottled water is resold municipal tap water. Nestle Waters is being sued for not disclosing it's water source. Click here to read more on the case.
Bottled water: outlawed by Concord, Massachusetts
Need proof that one person can make a difference? An 80+ year old activist named Jean Hill spearheaded an effort to have bottled water banned in her town. Stores in Concord, Massachusetts are no longer allowed to sell small and standard size single serving plastic water bottles. First or second time offenders are fined $25, repeat offenders pay $50. This is the first U.S. city to ban plastic water bottles. Are more to follow? It's up to you. Read more here.
You are never too young to make a difference either. Check out Activity Abby's Facebook page and see how the 14 year old is making a difference.
Amid concerns that bottled water may be an unnecessary cost that contributes tons of plastic to land fills, many local and county governments across the U.S. are deciding that it may not be appropriate to use scarce taxpayer dollars to fund bottled water purchases while municipal water systems are safe and in need of revenue to repair infrastructure.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celebrate National Drinking Water Week by Attending the Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium Join Penn State Extension and the PA Department of Environmental Protection for the PA Groundwater Symposium at Penn State in University Park, PA on May 8. The symposium's theme, Emerging Issues in a Changing Landscape, will provide a forum for researchers, students, professionals and educators working in the groundwater field to exchange information and promote protection of groundwater resources throughout the state.
The daylong symposium will begin at 8:30 am and include sessions on:
Groundwater tools for natural gas exploration
Groundwater budgets and yields
Potential groundwater impacts from natural gas exploration
Characterizing groundwater and water wells
Registration is limited to the first 150 participants. Click here to register. |
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Recent Developments in Water Policy
Would allow creation of municipal stormwater authorities in Pennsylvania.
Would provide state construction standards for private water wells and decommissioning of abandoned wells.
Stormwater authorities could offer a new tool with a dedicated funding source to tackle crumbling stormwater infrastructure, residential stormwater management solutions, community education and flooding issues on a watershed basis. A few Pennsylvania municipalities have moved to adopt stormwater management fees, including the Borough of Jonestown, Lebanon County and Mt. Lebanon in Allegheny County.
Pennsylvania is one of the few states in the country that still lacks public health protection afforded by proper construction standards for the estimated the 20,000 private wells installed each year. A recent study by the Pennsylvania Master Well Owner Network showed that poor well construction is correlated with bacterial contamination, such as E. Coli. Nothing in the legislation requires the metering of homeowner wells. Some municipalities and counties regulate private well construction, however, there are currently no state standards for well location, construction method, materials, yield, or water quality. As a consequence, Pennsylvania homeowners who rely on private water wells must act as caretakers of their own water supplies.
Click here for a study on drinking water quality in rural Pennsylvania and the effect of management practices.
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A Call for Safe Lawns during Earth Month: Studies Link Pesticide Exposure to Childhood Cancer
 | | Across the United States many fields are coated with toxic pesticides. |
The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a policy statement and technical report about children coming in contact with pesticides, and called on doctors, families, and schools to take action to better prevent contact with these poisons.
Studies show links between children playing on grass that has been sprayed with chemicals and childhood cancers and problems with behavior.
"Parents can reduce pesticide exposure by aiming to control pests in homes and gardens in the least toxic ways," said dietician Denise Reynolds. "Families should avoid using lawn products that combine pesticides and fertilizers because use of these products tends to result in over-application of pesticides."
Resources:
Visit safelawns.org for more information on safe lawn care alternatives. Click here to read a piece on lawn treatments that are illegal in the winter in some areas. 
A Chemical Reaction by Brett Plymale is a 70 minute feature documentary movie that tells the story of one of the most powerful and effective community initiatives in the history of North America. It started with one lone voice in 1984. Dr. June Irwin, a dermatologist, noticed a connection between her patients' health conditions and their exposure to chemical pesticides and herbicides. With relentless persistence she brought her concerns to town meetings to warn her fellow citizens that the chemicals they were putting on their lawns posed severe health risks and had unknown side effects on the environment. Watch a preview here.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a webpage dedicated to lawn and garden care.
An organic lawn is a healthy lawn. Earthworms in your lawn help the turf absorb rain water more effectively and provide a free source of fertilizer. But many common herbicides and insecticides can kill earthworms (some products are up to 100% lethal). Click here for low toxicity pesticides (to earthworms).
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Chemicals from Parking Lots Causing Water Pollution and Settling into Housedust
 | | Images from USGS's Website. |
Parking lots treated with coal tar-based sealants are polluting streams 65 times more than an untreated lot. The chemicals in the sealant are called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) suspects that this family of contaminants is cancer causing in humans and harmful to the aquatic food chain. However, the USGS believes the risk to human health from PAH is small in drinking water. Besides water impacts, several studies are showing PAHs have an effect on air quality and human health.
Why are these sealants used? They are intended as a barrier to protect paved surfaces from the elements like water, which can cause cracking during freezing weather. They are the black liquid you see sprayed or painted on many parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds. The sealants eventually wear off and wash into the nearest stream when it rains.
Several studies are available for further details:
Minnesota has resources available that can be adapted to YOUR efforts to lead your community away from coal tar sealcoat. Real change is just a click away!
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Save the Rain" Program Honored on Earth Day
The U.S. Water Alliance honored the 2013 class of U.S. Water Prize winners on Earth Day April 22, 2013 in Washington, D.C.: MillerCoors, Onondaga County, NY, and The Freshwater Trust.
"Our 3 winners reflect America's spirit of diversity, creativity, and collaboration," explains Dick Champion, chair of the U.S. Water Alliance. "These are the best in public, private, and nongovernmental sectors. It's fitting that we honor them at National Geographic, itself known for public education of natural resources. We intend to elevate, celebrate and educate the public about these good stewards for the blue planet's most precious resource." More than 300 Water leaders from the federal, state, and municipal level are anticipated to participate in the distinguished ceremony.
The Onondaga County, NY, "Save the Rain" program embraces green infrastructure solutions to wet weather problems. The "Save the Rain" program is a comprehensive stormwater management plan intended to reduce pollution to Onondaga Lake and its tributaries. It is the first of its kind in the nation to endorse and require green infrastructure as a stormwater management solution.
The U.S. Water Prize, first launched in 2011, is organized and administered by the U.S. Water Alliance. Through the prize, the national non-profit underscores the value of water and the need for one water integration, innovation, and collaboration among environmental, business, utility, and community leaders.
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Philadelphia: Soak it Up! Design Award Winners Announced The Infill Philadelphia: Soak It Up! design competition challenged architects, landscape architects, engineers, and other sustainability professionals to show how green stormwater infrastructure could transform Philadelphia.
This national design competition was created by the Philadelphia Water Department, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Community Design Collaborative to inspire innovation in green stormwater infrastructure for Philadelphia.
Twenty-eight design teams designed for one of three sites in Philadelphia, each reflecting the common stormwater management opportunities and challenges of industrial, retail commercial, or neighborhood sites throughout the city.
Meeting Green, the OLIN team's entry to the neighborhood category in the Infill Philadelphia: Soak It Up! design competition, was named the winner of Greening the Grid. The design proposal uses the Philadelphia neighborhood of Queen Village as a model of both stormwater management practices that can endure. The plan meets goals of creating more areas that rain water can soak in to, managing water runoff, and preventing overflowing sewers. All of these goals were met while creating community-driven common spaces for enjoyment and recreation. In response to the announcement, Richard Roark, OLIN's team leader said, "...Meeting Green ultimately just wanted to find a way to make Philly a better place to live." Click here to view a slideshow of Meeting Green's entry. Click here to view a video showcasing the winners. The Philadelphia Water Department hopes to use the winning designs as models in the future. |
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Videos to Watch
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Funding
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Natural Gas Links
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Quick Links
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Open For Public Comment
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Save the Date - See WREN Calendar for details
- May 7, 2013: Sustaining Wildlife with Native Plants
- May 21, 2013: Healthy Lawn Care
- May 23, 2013 - Rachel Carson State Office Building, Harrisburg, PA
- July 10, 2013 - The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, State College, PA
- 2013 Environmental Educator Conference
June 19, 2013, Harrisburg, PA -
August 18-21, 2013 - St. Paul RiverCentre, St. Paul Minnesota
- PA Municipal Authorities Association Annual Conference & Trade Show
August 25-28, 2013 - State College, PA - Implementing Green Infrastructure at Multiple Scales
September 9-12, 2013, Shepherdstown, WV - 2013 Susquehanna Water Science Forum
October 7-8, 2013 - Camp Hill, PA
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