The United States Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Pike County Conservation District, recently completed a study of residential groundwater wells in Pike County, PA. The results of the study were published in July 2014 in “USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5117,” which can be viewed on the USGS website. Go to www.usgs.gov and type “SIR 2014-5117” in the search block.

The purpose of the study, started in the summer of 2012, was to look at the quality of groundwater and provide a baseline of water quality data from shallow groundwater found in bedrock below the earth’s surface (0 to 1,000 feet deep) prior to any natural gas development in our region.

Twenty wells throughout Pike County were sampled, and four were tested monthly for a year.

Sampling showed that some of the wells in Pike County already had detectable concentrations of methane, with two wells showing relatively elevated concentrations. Many of the wells also showed detectable levels of components associated with fracking brine. Most of the components were natural, although some may be caused by humans from sources such as road salt.