Residents who rely on private water systems for their home drinking water supply may be risk of drinking contaminated water.

In Pennsylvania, public drinking water supplies are the only water supplies that are tested and protected against contamination. Private water systems are unregulated, so landowners need to take the proper measures themselves to ensure their drinking water is safe for consumption.

Residents of Butler County, along with other Western Pennsylvania counties, will be offered an opportunity to attend a free training workshop on how to properly manage their home's private water systems (wells, springs or cisterns).

The workshop is offered as part of the "Master Well Owner Network," a program intended to teach volunteers from across the state about proper management of their own private water system. In return, the volunteers must go out into their local community to educate others about the importance of proper management of private drinking water supplies.

"During the training, we'll cover proper well location, construction and maintenance, land-use activities associated with individual pollutants, drinking water standards, water testing and water treatment," said Stephanie Clemens, coordinator of the Master Well Owner Network.

All volunteers will receive a free analysis of their home water supply, a sanitary well cap, a handbook of educational materials, a certificate for completion of the training workshop, access to Penn State Water Experts, an invitation to the Pennsylvania Groundwater Association summer conference, and free attendance to a statewide conference of the Master Well Owners Network in the fall of 2005.

Resource professionals such as the Penn State Cooperative Extension, the Pennsylvania Ground Water Association, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will offer this training at the Venango County Extension Office in Franklin on March 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, to attend the workshop, registrations must be received by Feb. 4.

To become part of this network or for more information, please contact Stephanie Clemens at 814-865-2250, e-mail mwon@psu.edu, or visit the Master Well Owner Network Web site www.mwon.cas.psu.edu to submit an online application.