Tioga County, PA Question..Water Levels..Gas Drilling

[Helena]

In my mind I think it would be a problem..In our area the gas drilling frenzy has begun over the last few years. As some understand..they use water from creeks and rivers to "frack" or break up the rocks underground to get to the gas area. Ok...with the dry weather and the taking of HUGE amounts of water for all these wells..It does affect local well water levels..right ?? Also, I understand that they return the "dirty" used fracking water to sewer treatment plants for cleaning. I don't think that is true..but what do I know..and if they just dumped it back into the creeks, rivers water systems ...that would not be a good idea..from dirty water to upsetting the balance of "nature"..and also..what if anything, is in the dirty water after they use it. I have a hard time finding simple answers. Thanks...

[Alice In TX/MO]

In Texas, the industry is quite controlled. Frac water is recovered, reused as much as possible, and disposal is highly regulated and carefully done.

The water used for fracking is usually purchased from water haulers, not surface water.

[emdeengee]

Lots of bad practices with fracing and lots of unknowns. In Indonesia they have a mud volcano which was set off by fracing. It is uncontrollable and has completely buried an entire valley 40 feet deep in 3 years displacing hundreds of thousands of people and it continues to flow.

As for the water. My husband's job is water quality monitoring and research regarding mines and oil and natural gas. No one follows the rules and laws unless forced and there just aren't enough inspectors to force compliance. As usual the practice is to just do whatever and appologize later. Only by then the water is fouled - but of course that does not affect the gas.

[Cindy in PA]

They did take the water to several water treatment plants in PA, but I believe the DEP stopped that a month or two ago. I too wonder about the water levels up there. I know many are very happy that the gas is there, but we liked it just the way it always was. May be selling our land because of it.

[roachhill]

The gas companies are required to stop taking the creek water when water levels drop below a certain set point. All the water is taken to special treatment plants (not sewer treatment plants) and reused until it can't be reused then the Feds require disposal and none is just dumped back itno the creeks. I hadn't heard anything about the rules being changed recently and a web search didn't turn up anything. That said they do pull alot of water and I'm not sure how it will affect groundwater levels but I'm more concerned about the effect on water quality then levels since we always have so much water.