Some things are just good commonsense, and in light of all the money grubbing Landmen in the state of NY who are running around trying to get people to sign gas leases, every citizen with their own potable water sources (springs, wells) should be getting their water tested BEFORE any (un)Natural Gas wells are drilled, long before any fracking occurs. This testing establishes a baseline for your water quality, gives you that proverbial before and after snapshot of the quality of your water before industry monsters such as Cabot and Chesapeake Energy (CNOOC) begin destroying your environment, and negatively impacting your water source. So, with that in mind, thought I would point people in the right direction, and suggest Microbac as one laboratory you could use for this purpose.
From their Website:
The process of gas well drilling has the potential to impact drinking water sources. A single gas well can utilize and produce hundreds of thousands of gallons of fluids during drilling operations and during the years of gas production. The recent discoveries of gas reserves held within the Marcellus Shale formation and the use of new horizontal drilling methods to tap these reserves are expected to increase dramatically the drilling operations and gas recovery efforts in the region. Microbac Laboratories, Inc. is certified for a wide range of drinking water testing parameters in New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, and offers extensive experience in helping its customers comply with EPA, state, and local regulations.
Pre-gas well drilling water testing of private wells and springs is a necessary step to establish a baseline for the water quality of the water source. Subsequent testing may be performed during or after the operations to verify that the water source is unimpacted by the drilling operations.
