Marcellus & Utica Shale Plays: 

Water Issues in the Ohio River Basin
The Ohio River Basin

 5% of US mainland 

 (205,000 square 

miles)

 25 million 

population

 All or part of 15 

states

 Highly diverse land 

uses

– Forest

– Agriculture

– Industrial Corridor

– Urban areas

– Energy Development

 Coal

 Oil and Gas

Ohio River Facts

 981 miles from Pittsburgh 

to Cairo

 Drinking water source for 5 

million people (33 intakes)

 120+ species of fish; rich in 

mussels

 230 million tons of cargo 

transported annually; 20 

locks and dams

 Recreational water resource

 49 power generating 

plants; 5% nations 

electric.

 Low flows=5,880 cfs

 =3.8 bgpd
Ohio River Valley Water 

Sanitation Commission

 Established in 1948 by 

Compact.

 Ratified by Congressional 

action.

 Eight signatory states (IL, IN, 

NY, KY, OH, PA, VA, WV)

 “Pledge cooperation” to abate 

interstate water pollution in 

Ohio River valley compact 

district.

 Created ORSANCO to 

coordinate and implement

 Historical focus on Ohio 

River water quality.

 Currently investigating a 

role in water quantity.
Commission

 3/state (gubernatorial appointments); 3 federal 

(Presidential appointments)

 State EPA director ex-officio

 One federal is EPA Regional Administrator

 Budget: $2.5 million

 Staff – 23
Commission Structure

 Commissioners are board of directors.

– OH, Scott Nally, Director OEPA

– PA, Michael Krancer, Secretary PADEP

– WV, Randy Huffman, Secretary WVDEP

 Pollution Control Standards Committee

– Set Water Quality Standards for Ohio River.

 Technical Committee

– States’ Water Directors

 Water Resources Committee
Program Areas

 Regulatory – establish Ohio River Pollution Control 

Standards

 Water quality & biological monitoring & assessment.

 Spill Detection/Response (monitoring, communications)

 Clean Water Act/Safe Drinking Water Act implementation 

coordination (TMDLs, NPDES, Source Water Protection, 

etc...)

 Applied Research (pharmaceuticals, mercury)

 Public Involvement Programs (volunteer monitoring, River 

Sweep, mobile aquarium)

 Not authorized to address water quantity issues.

– Currently investigating ORSANCO’s potential role. 
Background

 2008

– Monongahela TDS Concentrations problematic for 

drinking water treatment facilities.

– Occurred during summer low flows.

– Partially attributed to shale gas hydrofracing

operations in PA.

– At the time frac flowback waters were sent to 

WWTPs with little effective removal capabilities.

 2009

– Bromide identified as cause for increased 

DBPs/TTHMs at drinking water treatment plants.

– This also partially attributed to hydrofracing. 
Background (cont.)

 Around the same time, PADEP was reporting 

on Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s 

active role in permitting water withdrawals for 

hydrofracing.

 Issue raised whether ORSANCO should take 

that same water resources role in Ohio Basin.

 Recognition that ORSANCO has no legal 

authority to operate in water resources arena.
State Yr Marcellus Yr Utica

OH Permits issued since 2006 16 2009 273

Permits issued in 2012 2 2012 177

WV Permits issued since 2005 2622

Permits issued in 2012 264

PA Permits issued since 2005 11,155

Permits issued in 2012 1,407

Status of Marcellus & 

Utica Activities
Status of Disposal of 

Flowback Water

 WV – 81% of Frac Water 

is reused, 18% sent to 

Underground Injection 

Well, 1% other

 PA – 99% reused, 

Underground Injection 

Well, industrial Water 

Treatment Plant

 OH – Sent to 

Underground Injection 

Wells or Reused

 Surface water quality 

concerns relating to 

disposal of flowback

water are controlled at 

this time!!!! 
Water Quality Issues for Ohio Basin

 Water quality issues relating to disposal of 

flowback water are diminished.

 ORSANCO recently established a TDS standard 

of 500 mg/L for Ohio River.

 One year TDS/Bromide monitoring survey 

underway.

 TDS is secondary drinking water standard for 

asthetics.

 Evaluating need for Bromide criterion

– Pittsburgh Water was having issues. 
Surface Water Quality 

Monitoring Programs

 West Virginia

– Cooperative agreement with 

USGS to test GW quality by 

testing nearby wells and 

streams from 2011-2012

– West Virginia Water 

Research Institute (WVWRI) 

has an established 

monitoring network on the 

Monongahela River (19 

Parameters including Br- & 

TDS)

 Ohio

– No monitoring directly 

related to Drilling
Study Area of USGS & WVDEP Ground Water 

Study of Marcellus Shale Gas Play in North 

Central WV 
 Pennsylvania

– RAIN (River Alert Information 

Network) – a surface water protection 

network monitoring Cond, pH, & 

Temp at 13 Locations (adding a 14th

in WV)

– Freshwater Biology Team has a 

monitoring network for Fish Creek, 

WV; Cross Creek & Tenmile Creek, PA

– Modifications to existing monitoring 

network to address Marcellus.

 Susquehanna

– Network of 51 in-stream monitors

– 50% of well applications get a 

baseline biological assessment at a 

fee of $5700

Surface Water Quality 

Monitoring

0

5 0

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

0 200 400 600 800 1000

TDS, mg/L

Ohio River Mile

Total Dissolved Solids

Ohio River and Select Tributaries

Ohio River Allegheny Monongahela

Beaver Muskingum Big Sandy
Status of State Regulations
Ohio DNR

Division of Mineral resources Mgnt

 Withdrawals –

– Must register for capacities > 100,000 gal/d

– Obtain permit for capacities > 2,000,000 gal/d

– Registration does not impose any restrictions.

 Disposal –

– Must be sent to Class II disposal wells or reused unless 

granted exemption.

– City of Warren had been accepting flowback water; 

OEPA disallowing in their permit.

 Water well sampling required within 1500ft of well.

 Out of Basin Diversions > 100,000 gal/mo. requires permit. 

PADEP Bureau Oil & Gas Mgnt

 Withdrawals –

– Mandatory water management plans.

– No restrictions on withdrawals < 10% of stream low 

flow.

– Must establish pass-by flows for withdrawals > 10% of 

stream low flow.

 Multiple methodologies available.

– SRBC & DRBC regulate withdrawals in PA.

 Disposal – voluntary program

 Contracting with nature conservancy to establish ecosystem 

flows for Ohio Basin; already completed for SRBC .
West Virginia DEP

Office of Oil & Gas

 Water Mgnt Plan required if using > 210,000 gpmo.

 Withdrawals & Disposal: Where, when, how much.

 Withdrawals

– Demonstration of sufficient instream flows to protect 

stream designated uses.

– ID methods used to minimize aquatic life impacts.

 Disposal

– No land disposal; WVDEP approval for WWTP disposal.

– Quanitity, disposal locations, name hauling company.

 Online Water Withdrawal Guidance tool.
ORSANCO Initiatives

 Foundation funding to investigate 

ORSANCO’s role in Water resources

– Characterize Ohio river basin water resources.

– Summarize state & federal authorities & 

management of Ohio River Basin water 

resources.

– Develop recommendations for ORSANCO role.

 $400k project to be completed in 2014.
Govenors’ MOU Initiative

 MOU recognizing ORSANCO’s Role in Water resources 

Management.

– Trying to get Governor’s signatures;

 IN, KY, OH, PA, & WV on board so far.

– Forum for Ohio Basin states to develop regional 

policies.

– Coordinate Ohio Basin planning activities.

– Representation of regional interests to Congress and 

federal agencies.

– Investigate/study water resources issues.

– Provide training in water resources issues.
What’s Next?

 Get Governors’ MOU in place.

 Complete water resources projects in 2014.

 Commission consideration of formal role in Ohio Basin 

water resources.

– Legal authorities would require changes to Ohio River 

Valley Water Sanitation Compact.

 Continue to monitor water quality.

 Keep abreast of emerging issues. 

– Land Use Impacts

– Resulting sediment loads to surface water
Questions?

Jason Heath, P.E., BCEE

Technical Programs Manager & 

Assistannt Chief Engineer

jheath@orsanco.org

www.orsanco.org