The best strategy to document the potential water quality impacts of hydraulic fracturing, wastewater storage, or any oil and gas operation is through proper baseline testing and inspections before any operations begin. Many states have laws requiring baseline water testing of private water supplies within certain distances of oil and gas activity at the expense of the operator. Legally required baseline testing results often come without any interpretation, so owners may still be confused about pre-existing problems or the overall safety of their drinking water.
Homeowners who want to legally document their water quality before nearby mining or oil and gas production activity must use “third-party” testing. By this process, an unbiased professional collects samples and delivers them to accredited labs for independent testing. These methods maintain chain-of-custody and are admissible in court. Third-party baseline water test results are invaluable in cases where there is a dispute over the cause of a water problem.
In addition to third-party testing before oil and gas operations, educational water tests can provide valuable information about water quality at a lower cost but without legal value. For example, the Penn State Extension in the state of Pennsylvania recommends testing every 14 months for coliform and E. coli bacteria. Testing on a rotating cycle every 14 months allows the results to account for seasonal variations and fluctuations associated with weather patterns.
The Penn State Extension also recommends testing every 3 years for pH, total dissolved solids, and pollutants associated with nearby activities.
| Activity | Pollutants |
|---|---|
| Agriculture | Nitrate, Pesticides, Bacteria |
| Mining | Sulfate, Iron, Manganese |
| Industry | Heavy Metals, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) |
| Gas Drilling | Barium, Chloride, Methane (CH₄) |
Transcript
Water Testing – Bryan Swistock – Penn State
While public water supplies are subject to state and federal regulation, private water supplies usually aren’t, thus it’s critical that homeowners using private water supplied understand voluntary strategies for the proper location, inspection, testing and treatment of their drinking water. Private water supplies can come from wells, springs and cisterns. It’s possible they aren’t properly constructed, maintained or tested. For example, a 2007 study of water wells in Pennsylvania found only 16% have a sanitary well cap. This could give insects and small animals access to drinking water and lead to higher levels of bacterial contamination and even E. Coli which could cause gastrointestinal illness.
Only 18% of the wells had evidence of a cement-like grout seal around the casing to prevent surface water and related pollutants from entering ground water. And fewer than 10% had a well completion report, providing the basic characteristics of the well. Without the report, well owners may lack critical information about their water supply such as well depth, construction details and water yield. So how can residents using a private water supply determine if it’s being affected by nearby activities such as waste water storage or hydraulic fracturing? The best strategy to document these potential impacts is through proper baseline testing and inspections before any operations begin.
Determining the case of contamination of a private water supply can be difficult. Problems can be due to naturally occurring pollutants, improper construction, homeowner actions or nearby activities. Many of these issues lack obvious symptoms and are only discovered through water testing. Proper testing should always be arranged through state-accredited water testing labs. Homeowners who want to legally document their water quality before nearby mining or oil and gas production activity must use third-party testing. These methods maintain chain of custody and are admissible in court. These baseline water test results are invaluable in cases where there’s a dispute over the cause of a water problem.
Baseline water testing of private water supplies within certain distances of oil and gas activity is often required by law and free to the homeowner. Homeowners can also pay for their own baseline testing, but the cost of a thorough water test can be a barrier. Interpretation of baseline water tests can be difficult. Owners may still be confused about preexisting problems or the overall safety of their drinking water. Fortunately, there are many unbiased sources of information to help people understand their water test results. In addition to third-party testing before activities, it’s recommended that private water supply owners conduct less expensive, simple, educational water testing. These tests should be done every 14 months to capture the seasonal variability in coliform bacteria and E. Coli bacteria.
Every few years additional tests are suggested for pH, total dissolved solids and pollutants that are associated with any nearby land use activities. In cases where chain of custody water testing is sought, much more extensive lists of water tests parameters may be warranted to provide full legal protection. Once water tests are completed, the results should be compared with applicable federal and state drinking water standard to determine if the drinking water is safe and acceptable for current uses. These standards can be either health-based or aesthetic. Drinking water quality is very important to private water supply owners. Routine water testing is important to ensure safe drinking water, but more extensive baseline testing is critical to legally document water quality before nearby oil and gas operations commence. Oil and gas regulators should be aware of the issues that affect both private water supplies and water supply owners and be able to guide stakeholders toward information and assistance.
Images: “Runoff of soil & fertilizer” by Lynn Betts, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service