Private Well Owners in the United States - Your Story Matters

Water-Research.net - Website Dedicated to Information for Private Well Owners, Evaluation of Water Related Problems, and Education/Outreach Program.

Mr. Brian Oram is a licensed professional geologist in the state of Pennsylvania and a professional soil scientist with over 25 years experience in applied earth and environmental sciences. 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, citizen science, 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.

With respect to private water systems, the Water Research Center has been active in educating private well owners about groundwater flow, water quality, common water quality problems, how to evaluate and review water quality data, and provide insights into wellhead protection and water treatment. We hope that you find our portals a solid information and educational tool.  For our most recent effort and in response to the development of oil and gas resources through unconventional formations, we have added a number of key items to our portals:

1. The Helpguide Section - we have added sections related to saline water, barium, strontium, lithium, methane gas, and updated many of the other articles.

2. Nuisance Problems - we have updated the sections of the website to describe intermittent water quality problems that may be caused by near surface disturbances, but related or made worse by a bacteira.

3. Presentations - we have added our presentations related to private wells and natural gas development as pdf files to the portal - this will help with baseline test.

4. Direct Outreach (This is a great place to tell your story) - We have created two surveys - One for PA residents and one for non-PA residients that are private well owners or small water system owners.  This is a place where you can begin to tell us what type of assistance you need or questions you have.  If you fill out a survey you will receive for free a copy of our latest booklet - This is a
$ 5.00 value or you can order the book for yourself.  (Proceeds from the book go into publishing more booklets).

5. Online Outreach - please go to our Facebook Website.  If you are in Pennsylvania - consider joining the PA Groundwater Forum or the Carbon County Groundwater Guardians.

6. In PA - we are working on an unfunded project - Called the Citizen Surfacewater and Groundwater Database - we will be happy to review your certified water quality data for free.

7.  New Outreach - The US Map of Suspected Well Water Impacts - we are assisting this effort. We hope we can provide a fair and balance approach to assist private well owners.

8. In the near future -we are working on a website of case studies related to well water problems.  Not available just yet.  When it is done - You can check out the Helpguide Page.

In closing - all I ask is that you consider supporting the Water Research Center - Send No Money, just a copy of your baseline data, exchange links with our site, and/or tell  your friends. 

Thanks

Brian Oram
B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc.
http://www.bfenvironmental.com