Extension of public water lines to benefit both shale drillers and residents
Friday, September 25, 2015
Even after shale oil and gas drillers leave, Pennsylvania residents will be able to tap into the public water lines being run to rural areas to frack wells.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Pennsylvania American Water, as well as other water utilities, has partnered with gas drillers and producers to get water to fracking sites. Some of the drillers and producers are paying to run public water lines to rural areas to the benefit of both residents and fracking wells.
These public water lines will reduce the number of water trucks that travel back and forth from drilling sites, and they will also keep residential water rates low. In Butler County, two water line extension projects have supplied steady, less expensive water service with more pressure to 31 wells and over 100 homes.
Via: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review > Gas producers partner with utilities to extend public water lines
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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.