Water company to test rivers
In light of recent questions raised by news reports about possible radioactive elements entering the Monongahela River through gas-drilling wastewater, Pennsylvania American Water Co. will conduct a battery of radiological tests at its intakes along the Monongahela, Clarion and Allegheny rivers during the next few weeks.
“With these tests, we will be able to measure levels of radium, gross alpha and uranium in the raw water sources. In addition, our water quality experts will sample for other potential drinking water contaminants, including metals and volatile organic compounds,” the utility stated in a press release.
According to Associated Press, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority also will be testing in the coming weeks.
The natural gas drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, produces chemically tainted and sometimes radioactive wastewater that returns to the surface. The industry now recycles more than half the tainted water produced in Pennsylvania but some of those gains are being offset by the expansion of drilling in the lucrative Marcellus shale formation, according to Associate Press.
In the last half of 2010 at least 2.8 million barrels of well wastewater were sent to Pennsylvania treatment plants that discharge into rivers and streams.
Pennsylvania American Water said, when completed, the test results will be reported to the regulatory agencies, state Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for analysis before being released to the public.
According to its press release, Pennsylvania American Water follows the monitoring and sampling guidelines established by the EPA and DEP.
“We are required to test the plant’s effluent (finished water) that is delivered to our customers,” the release said. “The most recent gross alpha sampling and analysis was taken in 2008 on the finished/treated water. Our last sampling and analysis for radium was in 2003. The results of these tests were well within the compliance regulations set by the EPA and the DEP, and we continue to comply with the federal and state monitoring and sampling requirements.”
The Monongahela River is Pennsylvania American Water’s primary source of supply for Pennsylvania American customers living in portions of Pittsburgh, southern Allegheny, Washington and Fayette counties.
“We have three treatment plants along the river, and in fact, each plant recently received Directors Awards through the Partnership for Safe Drinking Water, a national program developed by EPA and the water industry to ensure quality drinking water that goes above and beyond federal standards,” the utility said.