California wastewater wells issued emergency shutdown

Companies in California, US, have been ordered by the state to stop injecting fracking wastewater into 11 well sites in Kern County. The order has been issued after fears were raised that the disposal of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing operations in these wells could contaminate drinking water.

The 11 wastewater disposal well sites are located close to wells that are used for drinking and irrigation water. The close distance means that the wells could become contaminated with high levels of salts, chemicals and metal particles, all of which are found in wastewater from fracking.

Oil and gas producers in the state have been injecting wastewater from the controversial practice in aquifers for several years. The aquifers in question have been deemed by the government as having no potable water and so are not protected against wastewater disposal. 

Unfortunately, the maps that are used to calculate distance from waste aquifers and those that are used to provide drinking water are often wrong, which can result in contamination. ProPublica has reported that it seems as though some of the fracking wastewater is now affecting clean, drinking water. 

While no contaminated water from the clean wells has been found, the state has now ordered monitoring and testing of the wells thought to be affected. Steve Bohlen, state oil and gas supervisor, told the news provider that there is currently no direct evidence of contamination, however, about 100 clean water wells are located only a short distance from waste wells.

The order to cease wastewater injection has come at a time when the state is gripped by drought conditions, which means that many agricultural producers in Central Valley have to dig deeper wells in an attempt to get enough water to irrigate crops. Digging deeper wells may also increase the risk of water contamination. 

California was urged to improve its regulations surrounding the injection of fracking wastewater back in 2011 by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The agency released a report that stated the lack of regulation was insufficient, as there was not enough study into the geology around the wells, which meant there was no way to tell whether the wastewater was affecting drinking water wells.