James Masse is a Junior at URI, majoring in Environmental Science and Management and  pursuing a Masters Certificate in Hydrology. He is from West Boylston, Massachusetts. Before coming to work for us, James spent his January term in Indonesia studying Hydrology, Geology, and Biodiversity with Dr. Tom Boving, Dr. Nancy Karraker and several other students. James is an intern in the Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program during the 2018 spring semester. He is providing outreach to Rhode Island private well owners.  James is also part of Habitat for Humanity, Student Alumni Association, and the Outing Club here at the University.

We asked him to tell us about himself and what inspires his work.

Why did you want to work with the URI Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program?

Ensuring clean drinking water to the public is a personal goal of mine. I knew the Water Quality Program was a great opportunity to educate the public about their drinking water. I hope I can do my part in helping the citizens of Rhode Island ensure that their drinking water is clean and safe.

What is your favorite part of working here so far?

I enjoy making maps to accompany the data we accumulate from our workshops and farmers markets. It is always fun creating something new and useful from the skills you learn in class. I also enjoy working as part of a team that is so dedicated to the same issues that interest me.

Anything else we should know about you?

I enjoy learning about sustainable technology, along with my knowledge of water quality I hope to create something innovative one day. I’m also a big baseball fan, Go Red Sox!

Jordanne Feldman is a junior at URI majoring in Geology with a concentration in hydrogeology. She’s from New Hartford, NY. Before starting her Coastal Fellowship with us, Jordanne traveled to India with URI Professor Tom Boving to learn about water quality protection and remediation. Jordanne brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her Coastal Fellowship. She, along with Nathan Brown, provides education and technical assistance to private well owners at farmers markets and community events throughout the state. Here’s what she says about her summer.

Why did you want to become a Coastal Fellow?

I wanted to become a Coastal Fellow so I could gain hands on experience in my field, broaden my range of expertise, and engage with the community. I wanted to share my passion for clean water with my peers and the community and help educate people on the importance of drinking water safety.

What are you most excited about doing this summer?

I am really excited to learn more about public education and how to effectively communicate scientific knowledge to a broad range of audiences. I am looking forward to familiarizing myself with the community, Rhode Island in general, and the current water situations in each county. I am also excited to gain more knowledge about certain contaminants and how to treat in different situations.

What is your favorite part about engaging with the public?

I enjoy talking to people who have genuine concerns because they are always so appreciative when I offer them tip sheets or advice. I love feeling like I am making a difference in peoples’ lives and that what I am doing is important. I also love the hunger for information some people seem to have about their well water, because it is a passion I also share.

Anything else interesting folks should know about you?                 

I love working on the topic of groundwater and groundwater remediation strategies.

For a schedule of upcoming events and to meet Jordanne and her colleague, Nathan Brown, see our calendar.

    Nathan Brown is a URI senior majoring in majoring in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics.  He’s from Westerly, Rhode Island.  Nathan has spent much of his summer with us providing education and technical assistance about water quality protection at local farmers markets and community event.  Here’s what he had to say about his experience.

Why did you want to become a Coastal Fellow?

I wanted to become a coastal fellow so that I could spend my summer really engaging with my peers as well as the community about issues that are relevant to Rhode Island. Working with URI Cooperative Extension’s private well education program has been a great way to help better inform the public about a very important topic – drinking water quality. I’m very excited about this work.

What are you most excited about doing this summer?

I think that I am most excited about the possibility to make an improvement in someone’s life. Helping to communicate to someone that their drinking water quality is very important and helping them take steps to actively better that resource has the potential to make serious impacts in the quality of that person’s life.

What is your favorite part about engaging with the public?

I think that one of the reasons I have always enjoyed engaging with the public is how passionate people can be about certain subjects, and it’s impossible to tell until you start a conversation. Whether it’s about their water quality, politics, or sports people always manage to surprise me.

For a schedule of upcoming events and to meet Nathan and his colleague, Jordanne Feldman, see our calendar.

By: Jordanne Feldman, URI Coastal Fellow

When was the last time you tested your well water? A year ago? More? If you are looking to get back on schedule or start testing for the first time, you are in luck! The URI Cooperative Extension Water Quality Team will be out and about across Rhode Island farmers markets with annual test kits for your convenience. In August we will be back at each market to collect your test kit and payment  and bring them to the State Health Lab in Providence.  To sign out a test kit and get details on pick up locations and dates, visit our informational display at the following farmers markets.  

Charlestown Farmers Market: August 4
Pick-up Date: August 7
http://www.charlestownlandtrust.org/farmers_market.html

Jamestown Farmers Market: August 7 and August 21
Pick-up Date: August 22
http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets_details.php?market=581

North Scituate Farmers Market: August 12
Pick-up Date: August 15
http://www.scituatefarmersmarketri.org/

Burrillville Farmers Market: August 19
Pick-up Date: August 21
http://burrillvillefarmersmarket.org/

This program is great because we are adding the convenience of bringing the test kits to your town and then coming back to pick them up and drive them up to Providence. This eliminates the hassle of going to Providence twice in order to get your well water test results. We hope you take advantage of this opportunity and look forward to seeing you out at markets! For the rest of our market schedule and locations please visit our URI website at riwelltesting.org!

For many of us, buying a home is the biggest purchase we will ever make.  A home inspection is one step in the purchasing process.  If the home has a private well, then a water quality test should be part of the home inspection.

Rhode Island law about private well water protects your family’s health and your investment.

Our new tip sheet about buying a home with a private well contains information on:
1.  What home buyers and sellers must do during the real estate transaction
2.  Use of licensed experts to collect, test and interpret the water samples
3.  Required water tests for home sale
4.  State-certified water testing labs

We’re here to help!  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We are so excited to be participating in RI farmers markets around the state this summer.  See our event schedule for a location near you.

At the market, we’ll have information to help you learn about:

• The importance of regular well water testing
• How to protect your well from pollution
• Proper well maintenance

We’ll also help to answer your questions.  These events will be a terrific way to support your local farmer and learn about protecting your drinking water well.

See you at the market!