Website Created to Display Water Quality Data
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Technology
Colorado State University Scientists Unveiled a Website That Monitors Well Water Quality Near Oil and Gas Development Sites
Complex algorithms sift through the raw data, scanning for any anomalies or sudden shifts in water composition that could indicate contamination in a groundwater well. The data is analyzed and displayed as charts and graphs on aCSU websitefor the public to view, updated with new field data posted every hour.
The network of monitoring stations and website are part of theColorado Water Watch, a project spearheaded by CSU researchers to provide the public with real-time information about water quality at oil and gas sites throughout the basin that underlies northeastern Colorado and the Nebraska Panhandle.
The CSU team is led by Ken Carlson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, who believes it is the first monitoring system of its kind in the country.
"We don't know of anyone else in the country who is collecting real-time data from groundwater wells next to oil and gas operations, evaluating potential changes with advanced anomaly detection algorithms and sharing it with the public," Carlson said.
Water and energy
Carlson specializes in water quality research and over the years has narrowed his focus to the impacts of energy development on water. He leads the Center for Energy Water Sustainability, part of theEnergy Instituteat CSU.
Hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" is the practice of drilling deep wells - 6,000 to 8,000 feet in the Denver-Julesburg Basin - into a layer of rock that contains oil and methane gas. A mixture of chemicals and water is injected to break up the rock and release the oil and gas that is then extracted.
Critics believe fracking is unsafe and, among other things, pollutes critical groundwater supplies.
Proponents defend the practice, saying there is no evidence hydraulic fracturing is releasing pollutants into groundwater supplies.
The topic has become increasingly controversial in Colorado and the nation.
"It's gotten to the point people cannot have a civil conversation about it," said Carlson. "Everyone produces studies that back up their beliefs. This could lead to confusion and some people may feel they do not have enough information to make informed decisions."
EnterColorado Water Watch, a real-time monitoring system to provide the public with easy-to-understand water quality information.
Gathering support
Carlson approached former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, who directs CSU'sCenter for the New Energy Economy, about creating Colorado Water Watch during the 2012 Natural Gas Symposium.
Ritter liked the idea and from there, the two met with representatives from Noble Energy and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, which oversees oil and gas issues in the state.
Both Noble and the state agency agreed to support the project and serve on the steering committee along with representatives from Western Resources Advocates, a conservation group; the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission; and the Colorado Oil and Gas Association industry group.
"One thing that makes this project unique is that we involved a variety of stakeholders in the project," Ritter said. "We have approached this with a spirit of collaboration, and that has been highly beneficial to the project."
Based on science
Carlson and his research team have spent the bulk of the past 18 months developing the monitoring system using off-the-shelf sensors, identifying Noble-owned or -leased sites to install their equipment, and designing algorithms to crunch data coming in from the field.
The team has published several papers related to their work in peer-reviewed journals includingEnvironmental Science and TechnologyandJournal of Applied Water Science.
"We wanted this to be based on sound, proven science," Carlson said. "We've spent a lot of time working on that and validating the system and our results."
Read More Related Content On This Topic - Click Here
Media
Taxonomy
- Technology
- Monitors
- Research
- Groundwater
- IT