FACT: Fracking does NOT Contaminate Drinking Water

In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a groundbreaking study—it included the most complete compilation of scientific data on the relationship between fracking and drinking water. The report found that there is “no evidence of widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water” as a result of the fracking process.

Another study corroborated the EPA’s findings.  The study led by Yale University researchers was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and confirmed the EPA’s original discovery.

Yale news reported: “In the largest study of its kind, a Yale-led investigation found no evidence that trace contamination of organic compounds in drinking water wells near the Marcellus Shale in northeastern Pennsylvania came from deep hydraulic fracturing shale horizons, underground storage tanks, well casing failures, or surface waste containment ponds.” 

The rare occasions where water was impacted occurred when there were spills above the ground surface, but not as a result of the fracking process itself. Above ground surface spills can be easily prevented and controlled by strong rules and regulations. This is responsible energy development.

Thankfully, here in Colorado, we have some of the strongest rules and regulations in the country. Our groundwater regulations and oversight rules ensure that fracking is done responsibly, protecting our water supply.

Here are the top three regulations that protect Colorado’s water during fracking:

1. Deep drilling: Fracking occurs on average more than 6,000 feet below the surface
2. Strong Wells: State law requires that wells have extra layers of steel casing and cement
3. Water Sampling: Colorado was the first state to require water sampling before and after drilling