Why a regional water quality database is needed in PA ?

Why is a regional water quality database needed?
What is the importance of coupling the citizen monitoring efforts?

For me this is the first time that citizens have conducted or obtained water quality data related to groundwater and surfacewater that has been collected in a manner that insures the reliability of the data and provides a comprehensive evaluation of the inorganic, organic, and bacterial quality of the water. 

This type of data has never existed at this scale in Pennsylvania.  The PADEP has only data for community water supply or regulated systems, but private wells are not regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act.  The information that is in the hands of the individual citizen could be compiled into a resource that will benefit the local community, watershed, township, county, and state. 

The database is confidential - no name, address, phone, number, or direct locational information is contained with in the database.  The raw database does not an approximate location and zip code for the site, but the raw data will never be published.

Please consider supporting this Community Effort.   To support this effort, please do the following:

1. Complete an Information Form and submit it along with your data to brian.oram@wilkes.edu or bfenviro@ptd.net.

2. Please send a copy of the data, chain-of-custody sheet, and any documentation related to the sampling.

3. If this is confusing, please consider hosting a community meeting.  We would love to attend to speak about this effort and make it easier for citizens to submit their data.

To thank you for your support, we will do the following:

1. Review your data and provide you suggested action items - to help explain and if necessary provide guidance on fixing the problem.  This is one and one assistance - not an online computer software tool.  This is done for free by Mr. Brian Oram, PG at B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc.

2. Free Booklet from written by Mr. Brian Oram and two other professional geologists.
3. Happy to attend a community meeting to explain regional data.

4. Online list of suggested water quality parameters.  This listing is slightly different and not as up-to-date as the recommend parameter list by Mr. Brian Oram.

Thanks for your time

Please support the Citizens Groundwater and Surfacewater Database in PA

Gas Bubbles in the Susquehanna River - Bradford County, Pennsylvania Natural or is this a Release?

"Well water problems have become a sticking point for those who argue over the safety of natural gas drilling. But Friday we talked to people in Bradford County who say they've never seen anything like this.


Investigators from the Department of Environmental Protection were in Bradford County, trying to find answers to the bubbles rising out of the ground along the banks of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River near Wyalusing. Neighbors are concerned it may be caused by methane gas coming from nearby natural gas drilling."

Source Article with Video:
http://www.wnep.com/news/countybycounty/wnep-brad-susquehanna-river-gas-bubbles,0,2590877.story

It seems like an interesting story
1. Private wells changing filters more often.
2. Gas company drilling - but drilling miles away from site.

My questions
1. Is there any horizontal drilling in the area?
2. Is the gas associated with a saline seep?  Gas bubbles coming out but is any saline water?
3. Is the gas biogenic or thermogenic?
4. Is there baseline data available for the private wells in the area?  Especially since they are changing filters more often.

Causes
1. The gas companies could be a cause - more information needed.
2. Natural  - yes could be natural gases - the Susquehanna is a buried river valley and it is not unreasonable to believe there could be methane seepage.  Methane is naturally present in anoxic environments.
3. It would be interesting if some saline water was discharging.  There are natural saline seeps in Susquehanna County.

Suggestions
1. Install monitoring wells around drilling sites. 

Just my thoughts - would love to see more data and information

Interesting Report on Natural Sources of Methane Gas (By EPA) - 2 MB
http://www.epa.gov/nitrousoxide/pdfs/Methane-and-Nitrous-Oxide-Emissions-From-Natural-Sources.pdf
It appears that natural sources account for at least 37 % of total emissions.