Drinking Water Interpretation Tool (DWIT) Receives Updates and a New Look

Each year, thousands of homeowners get their water tested through accredited testing labs. The resulting laboratory reports often include complex language, symbols, and information, making it difficult to determine if drinking water meets established safety standards.

Penn State Extension and the Master Well Owner Network worked with the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment to create an online Drinking Water Interpretation Tool (DWIT) web tool that can help homeowners make sense of laboratory water test results after their well, spring, or cistern is tested. This tool was first developed at Colorado State University and was adapted to make it more relevant to Pennsylvania's drinking water issues. The tool has recently been updated to include more parameters, including PFAS, Synthetic Organic Chemicals, and Volatile Organic Chemicals with health-related standards.

Users can enter results from any commercial water test report, and the Web tool will "decode" the results. The site addresses bacterial and chemical contaminants along with aesthetic issues such as turbidity, color units and odor, and corrosivity levels, providing a full interpretation of water quality.

The "results" page breaks down the laboratory test figures into a table of information addressing each value entered into the interpretation tool with links to additional information for any water test results that do not meet drinking water standards. This section details each parameter, outlining the nature of the pollutant (bacteria, liquid, or industrial solvents, to name a few), its origins, how it enters a private water supply, and the associated threats posed when levels exceed acceptable standards. The section also provides information on how to remove or treat contaminants.

In addition to the Drinking Water Interpretation Tool, Penn State Extension has numerous other educational resources for private water system owners, including an article on Common Drinking Water Problems and Solutions. Extension offers numerous fact sheets, videos, and other resources on water testing, choosing a well location, safeguarding your well from contaminants, and properly solving drinking water problems.