Comprehensive Overview of Water Quality in Pennsylvania

Being abundant in rivers, streams, and aquifers, the state of Pennsylvania is significant in the water health of the Mid-Atlantic region. The state also has the most rivers and streams of any other state in the contiguous U.S., with over 86,000 miles, including the Susquehanna River, Delaware River, Allegheny River, and Ohio River. The water bodies are essential to drinking water, recreation, agriculture, and industry.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the body that mainly monitors the quality and regulates the water quality within the state. Although Pennsylvania has a number of regions with adequate water quality, there are others whose conditions are severely damaged by legacy coal mining, agricultural runoff, stormwater pollution, and urbanization. According to the latest evaluations, over 25,000 stream miles are being listed as impaired in one use or another. The provision of clean and safe drinking water to more than 13 million Pennsylvania residents is becoming a challenge, with the common problems being amplified by the forthcoming effects of climate change, structural decay, and new pollutants.

Pennsylvania Water Quality Challenges

1. Legacy Coal Mining and Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one of the longstanding, most persistent acute threats to water quality in Pennsylvania that are a vestige of the coal mining industry of the state. When pyrite found in mine wastes lies in the presence of water and oxygen, it contributes to the production of acid sulfide, which dissolves the heavy metals to be discharged into nearby waterways. This has also badly affected areas in the western and northeastern sectors of Pennsylvania, where water systems such as the Little Conemaugh River, Blacklick Creek, and Shamokin Creek remain evidence of AMD contamination. Such releases are capable of killing water life, turning rocks orange, and rendering streams unsafe as recreational and usage facilities.

2. Rural Watersheds and agricultural Runoff

The Chesapeake Bay watershed in Pennsylvania, particularly in the Lancaster, York, Franklin, and Lebanon counties, experiences nutrient and sediment pollutants through livestock farms and agricultural fields. Clear water deposition of an overabundance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment runoff during storms of rain and will reach the tributaries leading to the Susquehanna River and to Chesapeake Bay. This does not just impair the local waters but also plays a major role in the notorious dead zones and algal blooms in the bay.

3. Sewer overflows and Urban Stormwater

Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Allentown are the cities where the most threats associated with stormwater runoff and combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are present. The systems have the capacity to pipeline untreated wastewater into rivers and creeks during heavy rainfall and this results into contamination of pathogens, high nutrient concentration, and odor generation. Also, motor oil, road salt and litter run off streets via storm drains to local waters through stormwater.

4. Natural Gas Drilling and Fracking Concerns

Irreverent concerns regarding the presence of fracking water contamination can be found in the increase of Marcellus Shale gas mining in northern and southwest Pennsylvania. Although most of the activities are guided by the state regulations, catastrophes like chemical leaks, failure of well casing, and inappropriate wastewater discharge have caused ground water and surface water pollution in certain areas. People, living close to drilling areas, complain about migration of methane, radioactive source, and contamination of wells with brine.

5. New Contaminants and Ageing Infrastructure

Similar to most of the states, the questions of increasing concern to the state of Pennsylvania relate to emerging contaminants, such as PFAS (per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), pharmaceuticals, and microplastics. Roughly around Horsham, Warminster, and Willow Grove, military bases and related industrial capture have been associated with the discovery of PFAS in drinking waters. Moreover, most of the state water infrastructure is more than 100 years and there is a high possibility of coming across lead pipes, water main breaks and system failures.

State and Local Efforts to Improve Water Quality

Despite the challenges, Pennsylvania is making progress through a mix of regulatory programs, grant funding, watershed partnerships, and public-private collaboration.

1. Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan

Pennsylvania has created a Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP3) as the part of multi-state Chesapeake Bay cleanup program. This plan contains measures that would decrease the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and the sediment on farms, storm water systems and the waste water treatment plants. The state also provides grants and technical support to farmers on adopting best management practices (BMPs), which include riparian buffers, cover crops, improvement of manure storage and fencing of streambanks.

2. Growing greener program

Growing Greener Program is one of the most extensive state programs providing environmental grants in the country that has financed projects to reclaim damaged watersheds, clean up acid mine drainage, protect open lands, and build storm water management. Since its launch, there have been thousands of projects which have rejuvenated water quality and helped in community participation.

3. Philadelphia Green city, clean waters (Philadelphia)

Philadelphia has undertaken the Green City, Clean Waters program in bid to curb the number of CSOs. It is a nationally prioritized program that utilizes green infrastructure, including, rain gardens, green roofs, tree trench and permeable pavement, to intercept storm water before it can make it to the sewer system. This is aimed at cutting down on the storm runoff by 85 percent within 25 years, which will greatly benefit the quality of water in Delaware River and Schuylkill Rivers.

4. Mine Reclamation and AMD Treatment

Some of the local watershed organizations and the conservation districts are engaged in the treatment of AMD through both the passive and active treatment systems. There are settling ponds, constructed wetlands, and limestone bed among others that neutralize acidity and strip metals in the discharges before they spread to the streams. The Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR) of the DEP will be instrumental in the prioritization of high impact sites that should be cleaned up.

5. Protection of Drinking Water As Well As PFAS Testing

Pennsylvania has its own maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) of PFAS-related chemicals such as PFOA and PFOS whereby it is also conducting further testing of all public water systems. Small systems are also accommodated to be treated in case of contaminated wells and to have the highly advanced filtration system in the state.

Impact of Climate Change on Water Quality

Pennsylvania is already experiencing the effects of climate change, and its influence on water quality is becoming increasingly evident.

1. Increased Flooding and Runoff Pollution

With an increase in temperatures and an increase in the number and severity of heavy rainfall events, there is increasing flash flooding in urban low-lying areas and along the valleys of the rivers. The flood water moves sediment, nutrients and pathogen out of the cities and farmlands alike and frequently overwhelms the wastewater treatment facilities and results in CSOs. The outcome is a further multiplication of bacteria, wastes and pollutants in rivers and lakes that diminish the quality of water and the dangers to human health.

2. Warming Water Temperatures

The warming of air is forcing water in the rivers and lakes to enhance its water temperatures which can reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen, affect cold-water fisheries and encourage the growth of algae population. This creates a direct risk to the trout streams as well as aquatic biodiversity of Pennsylvania.

3. Drought Conditions and Water Supply Stress

In some parts of the state, especially during extended dry periods, stream flows are decreasing, which concentrates pollutants and limits the natural ability of waterways to dilute contaminants. Agricultural operations and water utilities may face additional stress as demand rises during droughts.

4. Seasonal Shifts and Harmful Algal Blooms

Climate change is lengthening the growing season for algae, increasing the frequency of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in lakes and reservoirs, such as Presque Isle Bay and Blue Marsh Lake. These blooms can produce toxins harmful to humans and animals, leading to beach closures and drinking water concerns.