Homeowners and business people often take it for granted that the water coming out of their tap is safe for drinking. However there are a number of potentially harmful substances that can harm your family or customers, including bacteria, nitrates, sulfates and iron. Some of these substances have health effects and others, such as minerals, can cause unwanted stains and odors.

A Safe Drinking Water Clinic, conducted by Extension Water Resource Specialists Bryan Swistock and William Sharpe, presented information on water system maintenance, treatment and water testing so homeowners can cost-effectively maintain a safe and plentiful water supply. In addition, Pike County Cooperative Extension contracted with a local lab to provide four water testing options for homeowners with their own well.

Twenty-five people participated in the water testing & received their results at the workshop on October 23.

Additionally Pike County Cooperative Extension, in partnership with the Tobyhanna Creek/Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Association, completed a $3,000 Local Watershed Protection Grant from the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters. Penn State Cooperative Extension assisted the Watershed Association in preparing two brochures: Is My Water Safe to Drink? and Where Does My Drinking Water Come From?

Pike County Cooperative Extension, Pike County Conservation District, Pike County Planning Commission and Penn State Urban & Community Forestry, were recipients of a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Growing Greener Grant, entitled “Protecting Watersheds through Better Site Design.”

This grant was a logical continuation of a October 1999 Growing Greener: Conservation Design for Commercial Development workshop. The Growing Greener grant assisted Pike County in conducting two workshops: Growing Greener: Protecting Watersheds through Better Site Design and Making Better Site Design in Your Community: A Workshop for Trainers.

Approximately 50 engineers, planners, elected officials, developers and citizens attended the Protecting Watersheds through Better Site Design workshop. This workshop, conducted by the Center for Watershed Protection, presented 22 model land development principles as well as the environmental and economic benefits associated with the 22 development principles and a better site design hands-on exercise. The workshop provided information, strategies and resources necessary to start making better, more environmentally friendly better site design happen at the local level.

In anticipation of this workshop, a Project Representative attended nine Pike County municipal planning commission meetings to discuss the Better Site Design principles and explain the Codes and Ordinances worksheet in Chapter 3 of the Better Site Design handbook. The Codes and Ordinances worksheet allows municipalities to conduct an in-depth review of their ordinances to see how they compare to the model development principles.

Finally, the project partners coordinated a Train-the-Trainer workshop to educate additional instructors to provide training to municipal officials, planners, extension agents, watershed coordinators and other key stakeholders on the benefits, impacts and economics of better site design. A Making Better Site Design Happen in Your Community: A Workshop for Trainers workshop addressed the 22 model land development principles, as well as conducting a local roundtable, watershed planning session at a municipal level, and how to achieve group consensus. The presenters were from the Center for Watershed Protection, Penn State University and the Clearwater Conservancy. All attendees received a “training kit” from the Center for Watershed Protection, which consisted of training CDs that illustrate some of the basic principles that can be used to conduct training and a Better Site Design handbook.

Approximately 45 planners, elected officials, engineers, natural resource professionals, and watershed organizations attended the workshop.

Ponds and lakes are a common feature of the landscape of Pike County and provide a source of enjoyment for many landowners. Although they occur naturally in this area, many have been constructed for a variety of purposes. Regardless of its intended use, the management of a pond or lake can be complex and sometimes difficult.

To assist citizens with their questions and pond and lake management decisions, Pike County Cooperative Extension co-sponsored with the Pike and Wayne Conservation Districts and PP&L two day-long Pond & Lake Management Workshops. The Pond & Lake Management Workshops, conducted March 17 and August 11, provided information on lake ecology, watershed management, aquatic plant and algae management & control, and need-to-knows for pond construction permits. Over 150 people benefited from attending the workshop.