Overview
Our extension program provides information for consumers about drinking water, home water treatment, wells, septic systems, bottled water, and other water quality issues. Our goal is to enable consumers to protect their health, financial resources, and local watersheds. Some information is specific to New York State.
Recent activities and updates
A quick summary of private well water testing and natural gas drilling in New York (updated April 2013)
Updated and expanded Septic System Maintenance folder (updated Jan 2013).
Workshops on septic systems in lakeshore communities in winter-spring 2013 via a grant from the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute to the NYS Water Resources Institute.
Info on USDA Rural Development NY loans for well, septic, and other repairs for low-income rural residents
Poster about a survey of NYS Water Testing Laboratories and Homeowners presented at the 2012 National Water Quality meeting.
Poster about a survey of NYS Water Testing Laboratories presented at the 2011 Northeastern Private Well Symposium.
Amy Galford's Comments on the 2011 revised draft SGEIS on natural gas drilling
Contact us
Amy Galford
Extension Associate
271 HEB, College of Human Ecology
Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853
aeg1@cornell.edu
Telephone: 607-255-1943 Fax: 607-255-1093
Professor Ann Lemley is the program's faculty supervisor.
Additional sources of information
Directories of certified drinking water testing laboratories
Cornell University operates one local Water Filtration Plant.
Cornell Cooperative Extension has links to local offices and information by topic.
Water research and extension are carried out by many groups on campus including The New York State Water Resources Institute.
New York State Department of Health and County Health Departments
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Connections, Partners, and Funding Sources
Amy Galford on Twitter
Program supported by USDA-NIFA Smith-Lever funds through Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Additional support was provided by USDA-NIFA's Northeastern States & Caribbean Islands Regional Water Center. We participated in its Drinking Water & Private Wells Focus Area.
We have begun to participate in the national eXtension.org Drinking Water and Human Health community of practice.
YouTube educational video archive