Tuesday, November 6, 2007
212-7

Drinking Water Quality Assessment of Underserved Farms, Families and Communities in Four Maryland Counties.

Arthur Allen, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Univ. of Maryland E. Shore, 30921 Martin Court/crop & Aquaculture, Princess Anne, MD 21853 and Fawzy Hashem, 30921 Martin Court, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Department of Agriculture, Princess Anne, MD 21853.

This study represents a part of a broader project designed to assess drinking water samples from underserved farms, families and communities (UFFC) in the Mid-Atlantic Region (Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia) who rely on wells as their primary source of drinking water, and lived in rural neighborhoods. Our main objective was to investigate potential drinking water quality problems and hazards of UFFC in four counties in Maryland (Somerset, Dorchester, Wicomico, and Worchester). Water samples were collected and analyzed for various biological (total coliforms and Escherichia coli) and chemical parameters (anions, cations, trace elements, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, pH, and hardness index). Results indicate that several parameters examined exceeded the USEPA MCL standards. In additions, questionnaires were developed and data ascertained on pertinent information associated with drinking water source, knowledge of well installation, and well placement among other parameters. This information was placed in a data base where geospatial information technologies, GIS and GPS, were applied to provide spatial relationships and data associated with well location and water quality. Attempts were also made to determine if there were correlations between well location, installation and drinking water quality.