|
Main Product Categories *Drinking Water |
Welcome to our new Site! We are working on preparing relevent information and statements to inform our clients and new customer of what is coming to our attention currently in the performance of our services from news issues, personal information, and PADEP policies. We hope to update it as frequently as possible but no offical schedule has been established.
Methane Gas
Recently, there have been some articles in the local papers concerning natural gas well exploration and the possible effects on property owners private wells. We do provide background analyses that will profiles your wells current water quality as well as actual Methane (natural gas) analysis of your well's water. We have listed below some of the tests we can do as test packages with prices. Please click on the CONTACT INFO link at the top of this page and call or fax us at the numbers provided or send us an email if you are interested.
Information seminars have been being conducted by the Penn State Co-operative Extension Services regarding water quality of your well and natural gas well exploration. The Extension Service has a publication which discusses the issue and provides relevant guidence. To find this publication and other information just go to their web site via one of the links below and look around.
http://www.cas.psu.edu
http://www.extension.psu.edu/base_nr&em.htm
This is a really interesting and cool video sent to me by one of my associates that used to work in public health for the city of Philadelphia that explains the natural gas and hydro fracturing process.
http://www.geoart.com/animations/horizontal_shale_drilling.php
COMPARISON OF TEST PACKAGES FOR GAS WELL RECOMMENDED IN PSU COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE PUBLICATION WATER FACTS #28 Available from SEEWALD LABS
TEIR III PACKAGE TEIR II PACKAGE BASIC PACKAGE
ARSENIC ARSENIC
CHLORIDE CHLORIDE CHLORIDE
HARDNESS HARDNESS
OIL & GREASE
PH PH PH
TOTAL DISS. SOLIDS TOTAL DISS. SOLIDS TOTAL DISS. SOLIDS
VOC *
MBAS (surfactants)
SUSPENDED SOLIDS SUSPENDED SOLIDS
BARIUM BARIUM BARIUM
CALCIUM
IRON IRON
LEAD
MANGANESE MANGANESE
STRONTIUM
SODIUM
BACTERIA BACTERIA
METHANE/ETHANE
COST: $530.00 COST: $190.00 COST: $55.00
* VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (e.g. Benzene, Toluene, Xylene and similar compounds)
Below is a set of parameters that we have assembled together as a test group with some comparisons of amounts sometimes found in Gas well Brine and Drinking water limits. Description are also include. Based on the Regulations in the State Code to establish a legally defensible position of contamination or alteration of your wells quality the sample should be collected by someone employed at the PADEP certified lab or other independent party.
Water Quality Parameters | Gas Well Brine | Drinking Water Standard | Description |
| PH $10.00 | 5.51 | 6.5 to 8.5 | Low Ph water may cause corrosion of metal plumbing resulting in poor tasting water and high levels of copper and/or lead from plumbing components. |
Total Dissolved Solids $15.00 (mg/L) | 229,526 | Less than 500 | Measures all of the dissolved materials in water. High total dissolved solids causes poor tasting water. |
Chloride (mg/L) $15.00 | 138,030 | Less than 250 | Can cause a salty taste to the water along with corrosion and blackening of metals. |
Barium (mg/L) $15.00 | 1,170 | Less than 2.0 | May cause hypertension and other serious health affects. Has no obvious tastes, odors or stains in water. |
Sodium (mg/L) $15.00 | 64,500 | No standard | High concentrations may be problematic for individuals on low sodium diets. No obvious tastes, odors or stains in water. |
Iron (mg/L) $20.00 | 130 | Less than 0.30 | May cause orange or brown stains and metallic-tasting water. |
Manganese (mg/L) $15.00 | 19.1 | Less than 0.05 | Causes black stains or flecks along with metallic taste |
Lead (mg/L) $25.00 | 4.77 | Less than 0.015 | Causes many serious health effects, especially in children. Causes no obvious taste, odors or stains in water. |
Arsenic (mg/L) $20.00 | 2.10 | Less than 0.01 | May cause cancer and other serious health effects. Causes no obvious tastes, odors or stains in water. |
MBAS $20.00 | 0.5 mg/L | Surfactant level (detergents or foaming agents) | |
Bacteria $40.00 | Negative Result | May cause gastrointestinal problems and other water-borne diseases. Causes no obvious tastes, odors or stains in water. |
TOTAL $210.00 + Methane $55.00 = $265.00
**Derived from Penn State Cooperative Extension Water Facts Sheet #28.
In recent days there have been articles in the local papers and items on local TV that have documented that some gas well operator in Susquehanna County has been cited by the PADEP and determined to have adversely affected neighboring drinking water wells. The compound found in theses wells was Methane gas.
We are recommending to people that they consider adding a Methane analysis prior to any drilling to the tests listed above the additional cost of this analysis would be: $55.00/sample
Hope this information is helpful.
John Tobin, Laboratory Manager
All Contents ©2006 Seewald Labs Inc.