Protecting Water Supplies, Gas Industry Update On Tuesday’s Agenda

Next meeting of the Potter County Natural Gas Task Force will feature an eye-opening presentation on a topic that many people take for granted: drinking water. The public is welcome to attend the meeting, which will be held at 7 pm Tuesday, Sept. 13 , at the Gunzburger Building auditorium in Coudersport.

Drilling for natural gas in Marcellus Shale formations has raised concerns about methane migration and other threats to water supplies. Government regulators and industry representatives say that drinking water can be protected, but environmentalists cite incidents that have fouled water supplies elsewhere in Pennsylvania. Penn State Extension educator Jim Clark will present a program titled, “Understanding Sources of Drinking Water.”

Clark is quick to point out that water quality can be adversely affected by any number of factors. That point will be underscored by a video called “Liquid Assets” that Clark will show to explain how drinking water is delivered to households and how wastewater is handled. A short presentation on protective measures and testing options for private drinking water supplies (wells and springs) and a report by Gareth Gockley, water operator for the Coudersport Borough Water Authority, will follow. Information will also be presented on two local organizations, the county’s Water Quality Steering Committee and the consortium of public water system operators known as the Triple Divide Watershed Coalition.

Also on the agenda Tuesday will be a report from this week’s industry-sponsored Marcellus Shale Insight Workshop in Philadelphia, an update on training programs for those who are interested in employment with gas companies and their subcontractors, and other committee reports.