Pennsylvania Water Science Center
Susquehanna River Story - Water Quality
USGS Releases Products Documenting Effects of Hurricane Ida
Nitrogen in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed - A Century of Change
Nitrogen in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed - A Century of Change
USGS Collects High-Quality Water-Resources Data for Pennsylvania
Streamflow, groundwater levels, water quality, precipitation, water use, and other related data, both real time and historic
Streamflow, groundwater levels, water quality, precipitation, water use, and other related data, both real time and historic
Hydrologic Studies, Research, and Tools for Pennsylvania
Water availability, groundwater contamination, nutrient loading in streams, effects of land use on water quality, and other water-resource topics
Water availability, groundwater contamination, nutrient loading in streams, effects of land use on water quality, and other water-resource topics
Pennsylvania Water Science Center
We work in cooperation with federal, state, and local agencies to collect scientific data and conduct scientific studies of the source, quantity, quality, ecology, and use of Pennsylvania's water resources.
News
Publications
Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant effluent contributions to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the Potomac River: A basin-scale measuring and modeling approach Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant effluent contributions to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the Potomac River: A basin-scale measuring and modeling approach
Managing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water resources requires a basin-scale approach. Predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) and stream-vulnerability scores for PFAS were determined for the Potomac River watershed in the eastern United States. Approximately 15% of stream reaches contained municipal and/or industrial wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges...
A geospatial analysis of water-quality threats from orphan wells in principal and secondary aquifers of the United States A geospatial analysis of water-quality threats from orphan wells in principal and secondary aquifers of the United States
Throughout the history of oil and gas production in the United States, millions of wells have been drilled for exploration and energy production. Hundreds of thousands of unplugged wells are no longer actively producing and are currently under orphan status, with no responsible party obligated for plugging. Orphan wells can pose threats to water resources by providing pathways for...
Tapwater exposures, residential risk, and mitigation in a PFAS-impacted-groundwater community Tapwater exposures, residential risk, and mitigation in a PFAS-impacted-groundwater community
Tapwater (TW) safety and sustainability are priorities in the United States. Per/polyfluoroalkyl substance(s) (PFAS) contamination is a growing public-health concern due to prolific use, widespread TW exposures, and mounting human-health concerns. Historically-rural, actively-urbanizing communities that rely on surficial-aquifer private wells incur elevated risks of unrecognized TW...
Science
Three Rivers Region Water Quality Monitoring with Allegheny County Sanitary Authority
USGS, in cooperation with the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN), is monitoring water quality changes related to wastewater infrastructure improvements in the Three Rivers region in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Shale Gas and Water Resources in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Water Science Center and other USGS scientists are studying water availability, use, quality, and ecology associated with development of shale-gas energy resources in Pennsylvania.
Informing Chesapeake Bay Watershed Management by Monitoring Trends in River Nutrient and Sediment Loads
The USGS has computed nutrient and suspended-sediment loads and trends through water year 2023 in Chesapeake Bay rivers. These monitoring-based estimates help federal, state, and local managers evaluate and plan water-quality restoration strategies.