James Masse – Program Intern, Spring 2018
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!
More on our farmers market outreach
URI students visit farmers markets to educate homeowners about how to protect drinking water
Jordanne Feldman, URI Coastal Fellow with URI Cooperative Extension’s Water Quality Program

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.
Meet Nathan Brown, one of this year’s Coastal Fellows
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.
Well Water Test Kits at Local Farmers Markets
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!
Spring Cleaning: 5 Tips for Maintaining Your Well
- Test the Water! – Spring is a great time to get your well water tested. As you’re dusting and scrubbing away inside the house find time to take a water sample for testing at a state certified lab. Incorporating the annual testing into your spring cleaning routine will make it easier for you to remember each year! For information on what to test for refer to our Tip Sheet: Are you a smart well owner?
- Plant low maintenance grass around the well. – Springtime flowers and other decorations are pretty not only to us but also to small animals and insects. Attracting animals to your well can also bring an unnecessary risk of bacteria or other contaminants getting in to your well water. Low maintenance grass is best right around the wellhead. Check out this link for more recommendations.
- Visually inspect your well. – Take a few minutes to walk around your well. Make note of any significant changes in the area and think about potential impacts to your well water. Also, check the cap of the well head for any cracks that may have happened over the winter.
- Avoid mixing or using fertilizers and pesticides near the well. – Anything you apply to the ground around your wellhead can potentially reach the groundwater – the source of your drinking water.
- Join us at an Event! – We will be hosting several workshops and attending farmer’s markets all summer long. Come out and learn about your well water! Check our calendar for specific dates and times.
Buying a home with a private well? Test the water before you buy.
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.
Visit us at a farmers market near you this summer
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!
Call To Action – Proper Disposal of Unwanted and Unused Medicine in the Home
Proper disposal of left-over medicine in the home will help reduce the amount of these products in our water supplies. Not only that, proper disposal is easy! Many Rhode Island cities and towns have a permanent drop-off site, where you can bring unwanted medicines. And, if your town doesn’t, chances are your neighboring town does.
Improper disposal of these medicines down the drain or into the toilet can result in them getting into groundwater and surface water supplies. Wastewater treatment plants, septic systems and cesspools do nothing to remove these products from the waste stream.
Proper disposal will help reduce our exposure to these chemicals and can help to reduce the amount entering groundwater and surface water – including those waters used for drinking water supplies.
For more information click here and see Tim Faulkner’s recent article in ecoRI.
Radon in air? Test your home to be sure
This is a frequent question at our community workshops from Rhode Island homeowners. Rhode Island homeowners should first test their indoor air for radon. It’s easy and inexpensive to do. And, it’s important to test! According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, radon is one of the leading causes of lung cancer (smoking and second-hand smoke are also leading causes).
Winter is a good time to test your indoor air for radon, since your house is closed up during the heating season.
Here’s what to do:
- Test your indoor air for radon. Click here for a list of registered Radon Testing Businesses.
- If the radon level in the air is 4 picocuries per liter or more (4 is the EPA’s standard for radon in air), take action to lower the level. Use a Licensed Radon Mitigation Contractor for the work, click here for a list of licensed contractors.
- If the indoor air level for radon is at 4 picocuries per liter or more, you will also want to test your private well water for radon. Use a State-certified testing lab. Click here for a list of labs. If you have to treat the air and the water, a Licensed Radon Mitigation Contractor can help you. Radon gas can get trapped in your well water and then release into the air when showering, washing dishes, doing laundry, etc. The radon gas released from the water will cause higher indoor air levels. It’s this total amount of radon in air that is of most concern to health.
For more information:
- Contact the RI Dept. of Health’s Radon Control Program at 401-222-5960
- See our tip sheet on radon in drinking water wells
- Call or email Alyson McCann, Water Quality Coordinator, URI Extension