A Water Quality Specialist Reflects on 34 Years of Extension Work
By Madeleine Jepsen
“Could PFAS be in my well water?”
That’s the first question Water Quality Specialist Andy Lazur received several years ago about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS, a group of manufactured compounds found in common household items, don’t break down naturally in the environment. As a result, they can accumulate in groundwater, soil, and ecosystems, and can cause negative health effects for humans ingesting them.
Lazur has served as an Extension specialist in various roles for more than 30 years.
As an Extension specialist with the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lazur’s work focuses on water quality, especially as it relates to Maryland’s drinking water and septic systems. Extension specialists, often affiliated with universities, provide education and outreach that translates research and academic expertise into resources that people can use to make decisions.
For Lazur, this translation of water quality science often takes the form of informational webinars for residents with questions about their septic systems or drinking water.
It can also mean answering questions via email, connecting individuals with the specific information they need, or suggesting resources available to help address their issue. This often means trying new formats to share information, such as webinars, Facebook posts, or podcasts.
“One thing that that's happened in the last 10 years is the explosion of social media and online education,” says Extension Program Leader Bill Hubbard. “Some folks grew up with that world, but Andy and I did not. Andy has adapted to that amazingly well. The audiences that he reaches are impressive, but the way he reaches them is impressive as well.”
When Lazur got the question about PFAS, he dug into scientific papers and the latest research to determine how PFAS can end up in drinking water supplies and what filtration options are effective for drinking water.
Already, Lazur’s work centers around the importance of testing well water for other contaminants such as nitrates and coliform bacteria like E. coli that can contaminate drinking water. Lazur recommends that Marylanders test their private well water once a year for nitrates and bacteria.
For areas where PFAS are a concern, homeowners can also test their water for PFAS.
A map showing public water sources in Maryland tested during a PFAS study.
But unlike nitrate and bacterial tests, which average about $50-80 and tell homeowners the amount of the contaminant in their water, tests for PFAS can cost upward of $300, and usually only tell homeowners about the absence or presence of a single type of PFAS, not its quantity in their water, Lazur explains.
A test tube filled with water rests on a paper with a grid of different contaminants.
Fortunately, for those whose drinking water requires treatment, there are plenty of established options for filtration, including activated carbon filters and reverse osmosis filters.
Graphic of different water treatment methods.
The under-the-sink reverse osmosis filters perform well for legacy PFAS, filtering as much as 88-99% of long-chain PFAS.
Activated carbon filters, often used in pitcher filters, are less effective for filtering PFAS—approximately 57-72% effective—because PFAS tends stick to the filter for a shorter time.
Proper filter maintenance also plays a role in a filter’s long-term effectiveness.
“You are what you drink, right? So it's nice to have your water tested just for that peace of mind,” Lazur says. “If you have an issue, fortunately, there's filtration equipment available that can treat typical water quality concerns, but also PFAS. That's the good news. It would be really scary if we had these ‘forever chemicals’ everywhere and they had to develop treatment for it. But fortunately, existing treatment does a pretty good job.”
Lazur doesn't just focus on water entering the home—he also works with wastewater issues as water re-enters the environment. Lazur leads a suite of septic education programming to show homeowners how to care for their system, extend its life, and reduce environmental impacts, but working directly with homeowners isn’t the only outreach in Lazur’s job. He also works closely with the Maryland Onsite Wastewater Professionals Association (MOWPA) to offer trainings for the companies designing septic systems and the technicians who maintain them.
“He’s helped develop most of the courses we’ve developed,” says Eddie Harrison, a MOWPA board member who’s worked closely with Lazur. “Anything out of our education committee, he’s involved with everything we’re doing today.”
Harrison added that Lazur has helped the organization plan its conferences and find grant funding to establish a demonstration facility where MOWPA can hold classes and provide hands-on training for septic system professionals, including the Best Available Technology systems, which offer advanced wastewater treatment options.
A teacher stands at a podium in front of a room of adult students.
A small tank of dirt linked to a bottle with red liquid rests on a table as a septic system demonstration tool..
A bobcat and excavator work near a wooded area.
MOWPA offers a variety of classes for septic system professionals (top image). Classes include demonstrations of how septic systems work (bottom left). MOWPA has secured a location and grant funding for their new teaching facility (bottom right).
While septic systems are one of the most expensive appliances for a homeowner, they usually remain out of sight—and out of mind—until something goes wrong. When it does, the companies and technicians that Lazur works with through MOWPA can provide additional information about best practices to maintain a working septic system.
A standard septic system.
Most of Lazur’s programming reaches homeowners before an issue arises, but training septic technicians ensures that the people on-site when the problem occurs will be able to share tips on how to prevent future issues and save costs.
Lazur's career has always centered around water. He got his start in Extension work in Florida, where he worked on a demonstration farm for aquaculture and pond management.
After moving to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Lab, he continued to work on aquaculture issues, and expanded his focus to include other topics like Atlantic sturgeon, aquatic plants, and stormwater ponds. Now, his work centers around improving water quality by improving septic systems, private wells, and pond management.
Andy Lazur holds a sturgeon at a demonstration for kids.
“Good extension people adapt their programming based on needs, but there’s a big difference between finfish aquaculture and water quality,” Hubbard says. “They’re both science-based, but that’s a big shift. To do that and still maintain a high-quality program and deliver materials that are needed at the receiving end is fantastic.”
Lazur also served as the lead for the Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program and then the University of Maryland Extension Environment and Natural Resource Program, until he shifted focus and began his current role as a water quality specialist seven years ago—an unusual career move in Extension work.
“Typically, administration is the end of the line,” explains Hubbard. “You're finishing out your career. You mentor, and you coach, and you supervise, and then you ride off into the sunset. But Andy wasn't ready to do that yet.”
Now, whether Lazur is visiting a pond overgrown with aquatic plants, explaining how septic systems can affect groundwater, or advising homeowners about how to get their drinking wells tested, his work is centered around helping Marylanders make better choices about their water.
“I reinvented myself again to get back into the teaching aspect, which I love to do,” Lazur says. “I’ve always felt this work was important, whether it be environmental work or trying to protect our natural resources—water or fisheries. That’s very important, but this particular work adds to that by having a relationship with public health.”
Additional Resources:
The University of Maryland Extension’s Well Water and Septic Homeowner Education Project provides useful information and practical steps to help you maintain your systems, avoid costly repairs or replacements, and most importantly, protect the health and safety of your family.
