Pennsylvania community’s water supply affected after shale drilling
Friday, October 23, 2015
In Butler County, Pennsylvania, a community has been having trouble with its water ever since shale drilling began in 2011.
The Patriot-News reports that in the Woodlands, an area of Connoquenessing Township, residents have experienced black and brown well water flowing from their taps, and some have reported a rotten egg smell. The state Department of Environmental Protection didn’t find that fracking was related to the chemicals found in one resident’s well, though.
Some residents rely on buying water twice a month — $100 for 1,500 gallons every two weeks — and have to be careful how they use it, according to the newspaper.
Via: The Patriot-News > Four years without water: How shale drilling impacted one rural community
Leave a Comment
Marcellus & Utica Shale Well Map
Additional Shale Maps
Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.