Regional Studies and Technical Support

USGS is working with federal, state, and local partners to monitor and evaluate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Pennsylvania's groundwater and surface waters. A recent study sampled tap water in Pennsylvania (and other states) and detected PFAS chemicals in some samples.

USGS has investigated groundwater flow and contaminant transport in the vicinity of Superfund and other hazardous-waste sites in Pennsylvania, in cooperation with EPA. Additional cooperative support has been provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, National Park Service, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery, and local government...

USGS provides monitoring, analysis, modeling and research on streams and water quality to better understand the fate and transport of nutrients and sediment to the Susquehanna and other rivers, and their tributaries, and eventually to the Chesapeake Bay. Additional research focuses on emerging contaminants and other stressors that effect human and aquatic life in the watershed and estuary.

In Pennsylvania, the USGS's water-resources roots date back to the late 1800's, with the initiation of streamflow gaging on the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers and assessments of groundwater resources near Philadelphia. The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center continues to provide scientific information about the water resources of the Susquehanna River Basin, in cooperation with regional and...

USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, samples 28 wells biannually to monitor ambient groundwater quality conditions throughout Pennsylvania.

USGS synthesized groundwater quality measurements in wells to characterize regional chemical characteristics of aquifers used for domestic supply in northeast and north central Pennsylvania.

Since 1969, the Pennsylvania Water Science Center has had a cooperative program with Chester County to measure and describe water resources. Cooperation has been primarily with the Chester County Water Resources Authority, with participation from the Chester County Health Department. This partnership provides Chester County with scientific information for water-resources management.

In cooperation with the U.S. Agency for International Development, USGS helped regional partners assess the suitability for managing scarce groundwater resources, and improving water supply, using artificial recharge methods.

USGS has investigated groundwater flow and contaminant transport in the vicinity of former Navy bases in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, southeastern Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy. Additional cooperative support for these investigations has been provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bucks and Montgomery counties...

In Pennsylvania, the USGS's water-resources roots date back to the late 1800's, with the initiation of streamflow gaging on the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers and assessments of groundwater resources near Philadelphia. The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center continues to provide scientific information about the water resources of the Delaware River Basin, in cooperation with regional and local...

The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center participates in the Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds (C-SAW) to provide free technical assistance to Pennsylvania-based watershed and conservation organizations. C-SAW does not conduct watershed monitoring or assessments. Instead, C-SAW helps watershed organizations do a better job with their own monitoring and assessments. Assistance is...

Most rural residents in Pennsylvania use groundwater from domestic supply wells for drinking, cleaning and other purposes. Some groundwater samples have been analyzed for private purposes, but those results generally are not readily available to the public. Many of the publicly available water-quality samples from rural areas were collected more than 30 years ago. Quality-assured groundwater...