2011 Private Well Symposium - The importance for Fixing Private Wells in Pennsylvania - The Marcellus Shale Factor-Concurrent Session 3: Hydrofracturing and Its Impact on Groundwater

2. Getting The Waters Tested The Marcellus Shale Factor Old Issues New Issues Environment Water Resources Private Wells In PA

10. Properly Constructed Wells and Poorly Constructed Wells Confining Bed Sea Level Stagnant Water – no to little flow Saline Water Proper Construction Brine Water 600 to 1200 ft Fresh Water Poorly Constructed

11. Some Private Well Photos

13. This is Drinking Water in PA? Iron / Manganese Bacteria Sediment / Gases Corrosion 50% Other 50%

15. Not Just a Marcellus Shale Issue

18. Image Source: Luzernecounty.org Recent Baseline Testing in Luzerne County, PA 320 Private Wells Tested Conducted by Certified Laboratories Third Party Samplers Not Wilkes University Study Area

19. The Source of the Data I am Presenting Today Certified – Third Party Samplers All Testing Completed by Certified Laboratories Using Approved Methods Samples include rigorous QC/QA including Blanks/ Duplicates All wells purged using Standards of Practice Purging Time Based on Stabilized Well Parameters (pH, conductivity, and temperature) The data is the baseline data that was done by EnCana. Homeowners had to approve releasing the data – over 90 % said Yes.

20. Up to 3% influenced by Saline Water – These same samples have methane approaching 7 mg/L or more. Source – Wilkes University Database Total Coliform (49%) 20% E Coli. Positive Lead (22 %) Plasticizers (8%) Arsenic (6%)

27. Methane Gas Video from Salt Springs State Park – Fall 2010, by Brian Oram http:// www.friendsofsaltspringspark.org “At the base of the gorge is a bubbling salt spring, traces of an 1850s woolen mill, and mid-19th century farmhouses and barns.” Go to: http://youtu.be/2QugRgXGdIQ

28. Methane Gas Migration- Not Related to Marcellus Shale Private Well Landfill Wetland 600 to 1200 ft 1200 to 3000+ ft Gas from Non-Marcellus Shale Groundwater Flow Lake

29. Rock Sample from Quarry – West of Dimock Sandstone Unit – Containing Plant Materials, Organic Muds – Possible Shallow Methane Source

31. It looks like background methane levels may follow a linear/ curvilinear trend. Cabot – Quick Look

32. Bedrock Fractures and Fractured Zones High Yielding Well (High Methane ?) Fractured Zone Lower Yielding Well (Low Methane?)

33. Purge Time, minutes C O N C E N T R A T I O N Methane Increases with Purge Time. How Many Private Well Owner Normally Let Water Run for 45 minutes

37. PSU Study -Migration and Disturbance During Drilling- losing circulation Proper Construction Poor Construction Key Points 1. Proper Casing and Cement of Marcellus Shale Wells 2. Knowing How Private Wells Are Constructed 3. Isolation Distances will not Solve This Problem. 4. Fixing Private Wells has to be part of the Solution. 5. This may account for the data on bromide from PSU. 6. The issue may not be well radial distance, but construction and drilling issue. 7. Recommend closed loop drilling with water within freshwater aquifer (no muds) or water-based muds. up to 2000 ft Lined Pit Could this explain the Bromide Issue??

38. Catskill Formation “ Bluestone Quarry – West of Dimock” Note – Preferential Flow Pathways Along Joints and Bedding Planes 80 feet

39. Migration Concepts- Multiple Casements and Recreate Confining Layers- Need Good Cement Bonds- Cement up to Deepest Casement or Surface Older Younger Water Table Private Well Confining Layer More Conventional Reservoir Target

40. Could Radon Gas be a Good Surrogate for Methane Migration? It cost less to test for Radon than Methane- Not Suggesting we Eliminate Methane- add Radon 9000 psi 4000 psi Is this Possible ? Very Deep Private Well- We have some that are 900 + feet deep

45. DRASTIC Model

46. Correlation of DRASTIC and Incidences of Contamination Comparison of Relative DRASTIC index vulnerabilities to frequencies of the occurrence of Total Coliform contamination of Buda and Salansky well water samples- Thanks to Encana and the local private well owners. Poor Correlation. – I think poor well construction making wells more vulnerable than anticipated.