Comment

Comment by Nancy on June 23, 2011 at 8:48am

RE:  Water

We are in Derry Twp., Pennsylvania where there is a gas well boom!  Rex drilled several (maybe 5) shallow wells in 2008 and Williams is drilling deep wells here now (They have 4 or 5) with many more to come!  All these wells, shallow and deep, are within a 1 -2 mile of radius of neighborhood homes.  1 shallow well drilled by Rex Energy in 2008 is judged by DEP to be defective.   1 Pre-drill water test  was done before Rex did the shallow wells in 2008 and shows zero methane before gas drilling, however, now DEP says that one time test is not enough history to prove zero methane in the area and area residents are having a tough time proving their case because their problems did not start within the 6 months following installation of the shallow gas wells.   I would say... if possible, see what an attorney can do to protect you from this situation.  Get Several Pre-Drill Water Tests to provide history of your water quality...Specifically testing for gases, water flow rates, etc. and request and keep copies of everything!  Expensive... YES, but so worth it if you have a problem.  You CANNOT just drop off or mail a water sample to a lab, that kind of test will not prove anything.  Water Samples must be done from an accredited water test facility.  Homeowners of Derry Twp. depend on well water for their main water supply and now they have methane.  Methane levels were high enough that water wells were vented, water buffaloes and bottled water were brought in.  Since then these huge Methane Aerator systems requiring monthly maintenance were installed in basements and methane detectors have been supplied to affected homes by Rex Energy.  City water is over a mile away and there has been no offer to hook up city water by anyone and local officials say there is no money in budgets to help. 

Comment by Kathleen Elsie Gibbs on May 11, 2011 at 7:22am

Get your water tested yourself. Expensive yes but then you won't be "out of luck" if something happens. Atlas has told us twice they wanted to test our well. Both times we told them yes with the stipulation that someone be home when they do so (a simple thing as we homeschool and there is someone home almost all the time). Well they never did when the DEP tested it after we had some turbidity problems they promised to send us the test results (five phone calls now six months + after being tested and still not results). In our case I now wish we had spent the $575 to have the water tested ourselves as we are now in limbo. It is now tooo late to do anything and we will probably put in a large holding tank just to be safe.

Comment by Brian Oram, PG on March 18, 2011 at 3:39am

I have lots of powerpoint presentations (pdf) files at

http://www.water-research.net/powerpoint/index.htm

 

Testing Suggestions for PA - We do not conduct the testing  - Methane is critical because the most common problem is gas migration.

http://wilkes.edu/pages/4198.asp

 

Comment by John Hoffman on March 17, 2011 at 11:35pm

Homeowners, like most people, are very cost-conscious, sometimes finding the cost of a total coliform test objectionable.  The question perhaps comes down to which tests provide the "greatest return on investment" and then prioritize from there.  Methane is certainly a good addition to the list, and I would include that as well.

Comment by Brian Oram, PG on March 17, 2011 at 5:51pm

Personally and professionally I would select a wider set of tests and the testing needs to include at least methane.  For a short list of recommended parameters and a free booklet on drinking water and water quality.  Go to

http://www.wilkes.edu/water