SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF WATER QUALITY IN SHALE GAS REGIONS OF WEST VIRGINIA

Hydraulic fracturing for shale gas is a polarizing issue in West Virginia. The state's long history of fossil fuel development has polluted waterways and, in some instances, contaminated sources of drinking water. There is concern that shale gas development may further degrade the quality of local water sources. To address these concerns, regional-based studies examining pre- and post-hydraulic fracturing water quality must be performed and communicated to the public in a concise, accessible format.

Spatial analysis is being conducted to identify West Virginia counties where rapid expansion of shale gas development has occurred. Pre-existing water chemistry data from these counties are being aggregated from several federal, state, and local agencies. Robust statistical analysis will be performed to identify potential temporal water quality changes related to the onset of shale gas drilling by comparing pre- and post-drilling data. The nature of the relationship between shale gas development and water quality changes will also be examined utilizing hydrologic and spatial analysis techniques. Results will be summarized in a series of charts and interactive maps that can be presented to the public through a web portal developed by the IsoBioGem Lab and the West Virginia GIS Technical Center using an Exchange Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Preliminary analysis was conducted for six streams in the northern panhandle of West Virginia using water chemistry data provided by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Pre-drilling and post-drilling conductivity, chloride, and total suspended solids (TSS) data were compared using Kruskal-Wallis tests. P-values ranged from 0.04331 – 1, 0.03115 – 0.6216, and 0.1558 – 0.7484 for conductivity, chloride, and TSS, respectively. Results suggest that the streams used in this analysis have not experienced long-term contamination related to shale gas drilling within their watersheds. However, the analysis cannot rule out short-term contamination events, such as single produced water spills or short-lived episodes of increased sedimentation.