Source Water Changes and Energy Extraction Activities in the Monongahela River, 2009–2012

Abstract

Fossil fuel wastewaters disposed of to surface waters used as sources for potable water supply have the potential to affect finished drinking water quality since these produced waters contain high concentrations of constituents that are of concern to drinking water providers (including dissolved solids, sulfate, chloride, and bromide). A 3-year field study in the Monongahela River was conducted to determine how constituent concentrations and associated loads changed in the river basin, and whether these changes were caused by surface discharges associated with shale gas extraction. Low flow during the dry summer of 2010 contributed to increases in bromide concentrations at drinking water intakes; however, similar low flow conditions in summer of 2012 did not, indicating bromide loads discharged to the river decreased from 2010 to 2012. Analysis of bromide to chloride ratios as an indicator of fossil fuel associated wastewaters showed significant increases in Br/Cl at drinking water intakes over the first year of the study (2009-2010). This indicator ratio declined in the final year of the study (2011-2012), likely associated with a voluntary decrease in the use of surface-discharging treatment plants for shale gas wastewater disposal. Predictions of future concentrations based on historical flow data are also presented.

Wastewater from hydraulic fracturing in the UK: assessing the viability and cost of management

“…4,67,68 Inadequate treatment of these waters has also been shown to reduce water quality downstream from treatment works. 16,[68][69][70][71] Consequently, treatment of water in public or municipal works has since been banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and treatment may now only be performed by specialist or designated treatment works.…”

The Problem of Wastewater in Shale Gas Exploitation The Influence of Fracturing Flowback Water on Activated Sludge at a Wastewater Treatment Plant

“…Although the dilution step would ensure the proper activity of biological wastewater treatment, it would not reduce the migration pathway of phthalates and trihalomethanes in surface waters. This is one of the reasons why the transfer of flowback waters to wastewater treatment plants is forbidden in many U.S. states [34].…”

Water Quality and Quantity Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing

“…Downstream surface water quality impacts from incomplete wastewater treatment by CWTs have been demonstrated for chloride [33] and bromide [45]. Increases in these dissolved solids may damage economically important species such as brook trout [46], and have contributed to observed increases in carcinogenic disinfection by-products (which increase in the presence of bromide) in finished drinking water in the region's cities [45].…”

“…Increases in these dissolved solids may damage economically important species such as brook trout [46], and have contributed to observed increases in carcinogenic disinfection by-products (which increase in the presence of bromide) in finished drinking water in the region's cities [45]. Radionuclides from treated flowback and produced water are also accumulating in stream sediments after partial removal by CWTs, raising questions about longrun impacts on human and ecosystem health [43,47].…”