Find river and conservation groups in your area Search the Pennsylvania River and Watershed Conservation Directory for grassroots river and watershed conservation groups, local agencies, and governments located in Pennsylvania.

Interested in how land use affects water treatment costs? 

Check out the recent study by the Trust for Public Land   and the American Water Works Association, Protecting the Source authored by Caryn Ernst, explores scientific, economic, and public health rationales for using land conservation for drinking water protection and presents best practices for successful implementation locally.  The report examined 27 Public Water Suppliers around the country in 2002 and found that the more forest cover in a watershed the lower the treatment costs.According to the study:

For every 10 percent increase in forest cover in the source area, treatment and chemical costs decreased approximately 20 percent, up to about 60 percent forestcover.

More info on Pennsylvania's Water Quality Standards

Upcoming Workshops:

"Protecting Public Drinking Water: Source Water Protection Solutions"
Interested in what can be done to protect community drinking water and protect public health? This informative workshop is designed to help public drinking water suppliers, municipal officials, planners, watershed groups and residents learn the steps that can be taken to safeguard raw water sources that supply drinking water in Pennsylvania.

Stay tuned for future Drinking Water Protection Workshops coming soon – To learn more, sign up for our free Water Policy Newsletter by  the League of Women Voters PA-CEF Water Resources Education Project with articles about water education activities in Pennsylvania at wren.palwv.org

Source Water Protection Technical Assistance Program
now available to protect public drinking water
sources in PA

EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic) has launched a series of environmental news audio podcasts called "Environment Matters," featuring stories and helpful consumer tips. The podcasts will be presented regularly on the region’s Web site, www.epa.gov/region3 and will be available as an RSS feed for automated distribution.

The current audio is: Environment Matters Podcast RPM in Action

Terrific Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox Now Available!! 
Take advantage of EPA's new Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox, packed with nearly 800 print, radio, and TV ads and outreach materials in the following categories:

• lawn and garden care
• motor vehicle care
• pet care
• septic system care
• household chemicals and waste
• heneral stormwater and storm drain awareness.

The Toolbox, online at www.epa.gov/nps/toolbox/, includes a searchable catalog of a comprehensive set of Web-based resources, designed to assist communities across the U.S. to conduct locally effective watershed education and outreach activities.  Don't reinvent the wheel - take advantage of materials already developed and in use around the country to develop messages and products for your own community.The Toolbox also provides EPA's publication Getting in Step - A Guide to Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns, www.epa.gov/nps/toolbox/getcd.htm as well as a comprehensive collection of surveys and evaluations of outreach programs to determine results achieved from around the country.  

After the Storm DVD and Video Now Available
Looking for a good Stormwater video/DVD?  The EPA Video "After the Storm"  developed with the Weather Channel, is now available at NO CHARGE. It can also be downloaded from the web at www.epa.gov/weatherchannel/.  Get your copy today!

Overview The show highlights three case studies—Santa Monica Bay, the Mississippi River Basin/Gulf of Mexico, and New York City—where polluted runoff threatens watersheds highly valued for recreation, commercial fisheries and navigation, and drinking water. Key scientists and water quality experts, and citizens involved in local and national watershed protection efforts provide insight into the problems as well as solutions to today's water quality challenges. After the Storm also explains simple things people can do to protect their local watershed-such as picking up after one's dog, recycling household hazardous wastes, and conserving water.

The program is intended for educational and communication purposes in classrooms, conferences, etc.  If you would like to order a free copy of the program, please call the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) at 800-490-9198 or send an email to nscep@bps-lmit.com and refer to the following document numbers when requesting a DVD or VHS copy of the program: After the Storm (DVD), EPA 841-C-06-001 After the Storm (VHS), EPA 840-V-04-001

This tape is intended for education and communication purposes in classrooms, at conferences, etc. It may also be aired on cable or other TV stations, as EPA now has the full rights to the program. Stations may air all or a portion of the program. If a portion of the program is aired, please ensure that you include in your broadcast that the program was co-produced by EPA and The Weather Channel.

Both the DVD and VHS copies of "After the Storm" include closed captioning so the program is accessible to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Questions? Please send them to EPA at weatherchannel@epa.gov.

May is American Wetlands Month

On this 19th anniversary of American Wetlands Month, EPA and a host of other public and private partners have planned a number of events for this year's celebration. Check out www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/awm/. Wetlands play a key role in the environment and provide many benefits: improved water-quality, increased water storage and supply, reduced flood and storm surge risk, and critical habitat for plants, fish, and wildlife. Information on national, regional, and local activities planned for the month of May will be updated and posted on the American Wetlands Month Website.

Robocow is back! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Robocow, the award­­-winning star of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s educational video! And she’s back with a sequel: Robocow: The Aquifer Connection. News of the second video – which identifies problems and solutions concerning urban and rural groundwater – is spreading quickly, and requests for its use have already come in from New York and Ireland. Robocow: The Aquifer Connection is the followup to Robocow: Operation H2O, which was created in 2001 by AAFC’s Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration as a means of educating students and adults about beneficial management practices in agricultural settings. Operation H2O won an award of merit from the Association for Media Technology in Education in Canada, and has been requested for use by government departments, conservation groups and educators from across Canada, the United States, and around the world. View Robocow: The Aquifer Connection, View Robocow: Operation H2O

Report says Nearly 60% of Pa. Facilities  Exceeded Clean Water Pollution Limits PHILADELPHIA (March 23 2006) -- A report released by the environmental group PennEnvironment says more than 57 percent of industrial and municipal facilities across Pennsylvania discharged more pollution into the state’s waterways than their Clean Water Act permits allowed between July 2003 and December 2004.  Using the Freedom of Information Act, PennEnvironment obtained data on facilities’ compliance with the Clean Water Act between July 1, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2004. PennEnvironment researchers found that polluters repeatedly exceeded their permit limits, often by egregious amounts. Report also includes Executive Summary, Appendix and Chart of all violators which can be sorted by county, waterway, etc.

New Homeowners Guide to Stormwater Management
The Philadelphia Water Department Office of Watersheds has just published a "Homeowners Guide to Stormwater Management" as part of its "Clean Water-Green City" initiative. Homeowners can play an important role in keeping streams clean by properly maintaining vehicles, building a rain garden or installing a rain barrel. This easy-to-read 32-page guide has tips on environment friendly vehicle maintenance, lawn and garden care, pet waste, vehicle washing, tree planting, caring for backyard streams, winter de-icing, container gardens, rain barrels, rain gardens, creating a wildflower meadow, dry wells and infiltration testing. Download a copy of Homeowners Guide to Stormwater Management.

Interested in learning the latest on protecting drinking water and furthering your Source Water Protection education?  Need help getting some new folks on your Source Water Team up to speed on Source Water Protection? Check out the EPA's series of Webcasts over the next few months.  Note: There are also additional water related education programs listed at EPA's Drinking Water Academy at www.epa.gov/safewater/dwa/register.html