The Environmental Public Health & Service Initiative (EPHSI) is a student-powered project at SUNY Oneonta offering free private well water testing to residents of Otsego County, NY. We combine environmental science, community service, and student learning to improve awareness of groundwater quality across our region.

EPHSI offers Otsego County residents free testing of their private well water. Students collect on-site samples, analyze them in our geochemistry lab, and provide personalized results. We use the data—confidentially and anonymously—to help create a public groundwater geochemistry map that benefits the broader community.

Students are involved in every step of the process: sample collection, lab analysis, data interpretation, and communicating results back to well owners. Through this work, students build real-world research and communication skills while making a tangible impact in their community.