Baseline groundwater quality from 20 domestic wells in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, 2012

Abstract

The cooperation of the residents of Sullivan County who made their wells accessible for sampling is greatly appreciated. The author thanks Taylor Suskie of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey for her assistance with well location and sampling.

Groundwater quality for 75 domestic wells in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, 2014

“…The chloride/bromide and associated constituent relations for the Lycoming County well-water samples collected for this study are similar to those for 20 groundwater samples collected in 2012 in Sullivan County (Sloto, 2013), 20 groundwater samples collected in 2012 in Pike County (Senior, 2014), and 121 groundwater samples collected in 2013-14 in Wayne County (Senior and others, 2016). These studies consistently indicate that groundwater in north-central and northeastern Pennsylvania has locally elevated concentrations of bromide, chloride, sodium, and methane.…”

Well water contamination in a rural community in southwestern Pennsylvania near unconventional shale gas extraction

“…13 C-CH 4 and d 2 H-CH 4 ) and geochemical analyses (e.g., propane/methane ratios). [9,14,17,[56][57][58] The presence of associated hydrocarbons (e.g., ethane, propane, propylene, butane) may then be an indication that the source of methane is thermogenic in at least six wells (Table 5).…”

“…Additionally, the large distances (hundreds of meters) separating the deep gas rich formations and the shallower groundwater sources, the multitude of surface and subsurface contaminant sources and the lack of comprehensive scientific baseline study data are all factors that contribute to the challenge. [2][3][4]20] The main objective of this study was to determine if recent the changes in well water (quality and quantity) of a small rural community in southwestern Pennsylvania could be related to the current unconventional shale gas extraction activities of drilling and/or fracturing.…”

“…[1] Unlike public water supplies, Pennsylvania does not regulate residential groundwater use and there have been very few studies on general water well quality. [1][2][3][4] The rise in unconventional shale gas extraction using hydraulic fracturing and the consistent claims of groundwater contamination associated with this practice has raised concerns about groundwater quality. [5][6][7][8][9][10] Freshwater aquifers may be contaminated by brines or hydrocarbons from underlying formations, chemicals used in the drilling or fracturing processes, waste water, and the natural gas itself through a number of pathways.…”

Project Asks What's in the Water After Fracking at Depth

“…Particularly problematic is that predrilling data are not always available. For example, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ( PADEP) currently targets a Vidic et al [2013] with new data from Sloto [2013] and Pham and Bolton [2012]. Most of these data (see original data sources in Vidic et al [2013]) were collected prior to nonconvential shale gas development practices.…”