# 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 fields23 public water springs and tunnels in oil & gas fields214 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 land use 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.