Public Water Sources and 

Hydraulic Fracturing

A State Drinking Water 

Perspective

Mark E. Jensen

Utah DEQ/Division of Drinking Water
USDW and TDS Standards

 Underground Source of Drinking Water

 Supplies a public water system or contains 

sufficient quantity (1 gpm)

 TDS <10,000 mg/L

 Not an exempted aquifer

 Used by Utah DEQ and Oil, Gas & Mining

 Utah drinking water primary standard

 2000 mg/L

 If >1000 mg/L water supplier must 

demonstrate that no better water is available 
Underground Injection Control in Utah

 Division of Water Quality, DEQ

 Regulates injection wells except Class II

 Does not normally deal with hydraulic 

fracturing

 Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, DNR

 Regulates Class II wells
Construction of Drinking Water Wells

 Must be grouted to at least 100 feet below 

ground surface.

 Protected aquifer

 Clay layer at least 30 feet thick above aquifer.

 Clay layer must extend throughout zone 2.

 Grouted from the ground surface down to at 

least 100 feet, and least 30 feet through the 

protective clay layer.

 Most public water wells in Utah ~100s –

1,500 feet TD.
36 public water wells

in oil & gas fields
23 public water springs and 

tunnels in oil & gas fields
214 public water wells, 

springs or tunnels in coal 

deposit areas
Utah Drinking Water

Source Protection Program

 1996 Amendments to SDWA

 Applies to all public drinking water 

sources: 

 Drinking Water Source Protection Program

 Community and non-transient non-community 

systems, and transient systems with new sources

 Source Water Assessments

 Transient non-community systems with existing 

water sources
Drinking Water Source Protection Plans

Three principal steps:

 Delineate protection zones

 Inventory potential contamination sources

 Management programs for existing and 

future PCSs

 Program must be feasible for very small 

water systems
Ground-Water Protection Zones

 Zone 1 – 100-foot radius

 Zone 2 – 250-day 

ground-water time of 

travel (TOT), boundary of 

aquifer, or ground-water 

divide

 Zone 3 – 3-year TOT...

 Zone 4 – 15-year TOT...

Critical area Well

Bacteria

Waivers

Chemicals and Planning
Delineation Report

 Geologic Data

 Well Construction Data

 Aquifer Data

 Hydrogeologic Methods and Calculations

 Map Showing Boundaries of DWSP Zones

 Protected Aquifer Conditions
Delineation Report

 Geologic Data

 Geologic features and aquifer characteristics

 Stratigraphy, lithology, confining units.

 Fractures, solution cavities, and faults.

 Well Construction Data

 Well driller’s log

 Borehole, casing, TD

 Screened or perforated intervals

 Pump and maximum projected pumping rate
Delineation Report

 Aquifer Data

 Hydraulic conductivity from a constant-rate 

aquifer test.

 Hydraulic gradient, direction of GW flow, 

effective porosity, saturated thickness.

 Hydrogeologic Method

 Must be reasonably applicable for the aquifer 

setting.

 Map showing boundaries of delineated 

zones.
Surface Water Zones

 Zone 1 – 1⁄2 mile from high 

water mark, and 15 miles 

upstream, to watershed 

boundary or state line

 Zone 2 – 1000 feet from 

HWM, and additional 50 

miles

 Zone 3 – 500 feet from 

HWM, and to watershed 

boundary or state line

 Zone 4 – remainder of 

watershed
Inventory of Potential Contamination 

Sources

 Any facility or site which employs an 

activity or procedure which may 

potentially contaminate ground water or 

surface water. A pollution source is also a 

potential contamination source.

 Prioritize list.

 Assess hazards at each PCS.
Land Management Strategies

 Public water system must plan land 

management strategies to control PCSs.

 May be regulatory or non-regulatory.

 In Utah, cities and towns have 

extraterritorial jurisdiction to protect their 

water sources.

 State Drinking Water does not have landuse authority.
Public Water System Involvement

 Source Protection Plan is developed and 

implemented by the PWS, using 

requirements from the State.

 PWS is involved with the PCS.

 May require assistance from DEQ and 

Division of Oil, Gas & Mining.

 BLM drilling permits.

 Forest Service watershed management 

plans.
Drinking Water Sources and

Hydraulic Fracturing

 Multiple possibilities for hydraulic 

fracturing to be a PCS.

 Hazards would be managed by the public 

water system and the PCS owner.

 With assistance and guidance from State 

and Federal agencies.