PENN STATE EXTENSION WELL WATER CASE STUDY

Private Well Water Symptoms and Solutions

Background

The mission of Penn State Extension is to provide research-based educational resources to Pennsylvania citizens on subjects including horticulture, agriculture, food safety and natural resources. With funding from state and federal programs, the Extension office developed a mobile app to help homeowners and professionals diagnose the cause of water problems from private wells and cisterns.

Background

The mission of Penn State Extension is to provide research-based educational resources to Pennsylvania citizens on subjects including horticulture, agriculture, food safety and natural resources. With funding from state and federal programs, the Extension office developed a mobile app to help homeowners and professionals diagnose the cause of water problems from private wells and cisterns.

Challenge

Pennsylvania homeowners and professionals were sometimes concerned about the color, smell and taste of water coming from their private wells and cisterns. They reported a broad range of unpleasant symptoms, including a rotten egg odor, discolored oily film, water that left stains, a metallic, bitter taste, and gastrointestinal illnesses.

Private well owners needed to know how to diagnose and fix the problem. Realtors needed to understand and mitigate the issue before showing or selling a house with private wells. Home inspectors needed to be aware of the need to test or check the well water to note any irregularities.

Pennsylvania homeowners and professionals were sometimes concerned about the color, smell and taste of water coming from their private wells and cisterns. They reported a broad range of unpleasant symptoms, including a rotten egg odor, discolored oily film, water that left stains, a metallic, bitter taste, and gastrointestinal illnesses.

Private well owners needed to know how to diagnose and fix the problem. Realtors needed to understand and mitigate the issue before showing or selling a house with private wells. Home inspectors needed to be aware of the need to test or check the well water to note any irregularities.

Challenge

Pennsylvania homeowners and professionals were sometimes concerned about the color, smell and taste of water coming from their private wells and cisterns. They reported a broad range of unpleasant symptoms, including a rotten egg odor, discolored oily film, water that left stains, a metallic, bitter taste, and gastrointestinal illnesses.

Private well owners needed to know how to diagnose and fix the problem. Realtors needed to understand and mitigate the issue before showing or selling a house with private wells. Home inspectors needed to be aware of the need to test or check the well water to note any irregularities.

Solution

Penn State Extension worked with Skyward Apps to design and develop a simple mobile app to diagnose the problem and get help. It was important the app was simple to use for users who were not technically proficient, and that it functioned in areas with spotty or no Internet service.

The app listed all known symptoms, common causes for each symptom, county testing data on contaminants and Extension experts on water problems. For example, homeowners experiencing black specks and metallic taste could click on an arrow to find common causes and possible solutions. They would find Chloride, possibly due to bedrock and road salt. Grayish white film suggested hard water due to calcium and magnesium.

In each case, the same page listed possible solutions, from water softeners and oxidizing filters to new water sources, if necessary. A link at the bottom of each page directed users to test results for each county, listing the number of samples tested, minimum and maximum levels found, and the standard set by EPA for drinking water. Another link connected them to the nearest Water Resource expert at Penn State Extension.

The solution included a website-based content management system. This allowed Extension experts to update symptoms, causes and data at any time using a simple interface. As a result, the application could be tailored on the fly as common issues were identified or new symptoms discovered.

Solution

Penn State Extension worked with Skyward Apps to design and develop a simple mobile app to diagnose the problem and get help. It was important the app was simple to use for users who were not technically proficient, and that it functioned in areas with spotty or no Internet service.

The app listed all known symptoms, common causes for each symptom, county testing data on contaminants and Extension experts on water problems. For example, homeowners experiencing black specks and metallic taste could click on an arrow to find common causes and possible solutions. They would find Chloride, possibly due to bedrock and road salt. Grayish white film suggested hard water due to calcium and magnesium.

In each case, the same page listed possible solutions, from water softeners and oxidizing filters to new water sources, if necessary. A link at the bottom of each page directed users to test results for each county, listing the number of samples tested, minimum and maximum levels found, and the standard set by EPA for drinking water. Another link connected them to the nearest Water Resource expert at Penn State Extension.

The solution included a website-based content management system. This allowed Extension experts to update symptoms, causes and data at any time using a simple interface. As a result, the application could be tailored on the fly as common issues were identified or new symptoms discovered.

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