Town’s bulk water supply ‘secondary’ source for LIPG by Derek, August 22, 2012, Cochrane Eagle
The Lochend Industry Producers Group (LIPG) want to ensure Cochrane and area residents that the use of the town’s bulk water supply is simply an alternative source of water for hydraulic fracturing operations. … LIPG members — made up of six oil and gas companies: Equal Energy, NAL Resources, Pengrowth Energy, Petrobakken Energy, Tamarack Valley Energy and TriOil Resources — collaborated via email, indicated that they “welcome opportunities to work with the Town of Cochrane and Rocky View County….” The LIPG also wanted to clarify that they are in fact able to use ‘untreated’ water from natural resources and that what is referred to as ‘potable’ water means that it meets government standards as treated or drinking water. The most ideal water for ‘frack’ fluid is naturally occurring, untreated, fresh water. Water that is extracted from natural sources is transported to LIPG site, where it is filtered to remove any solids and is then stored.
Samples of the water are tested to ensure it can be used for frack fluid. If necessary, a conditioning additive (usually a bacteria inhibitor) is added to the fluid during the fracturing process. Responding to whether they prefer pre-filtered water to avoid filtering costs, the LIPG said the cost to filter natural water is ‘negligible’ and does not factor into their decision on how or where to acquire water. LIPG member companies do presently possess a temporary water diversion permit for several natural water sources in the Cochrane area, including Cochrane Lake, Dogpound Creek, Church Ranches Estate, area dugouts and road ditches and gravel pits. To alleviate resident concern over truck traffic, the LIPG said they always work to ensure that water is sourced from the closest approved location to any given frack site. The LIPG also affirmed that they do not disperse used frack fluid into any municipal treatment facility, including the City of Calgary’s sewage pipeline, but rather transport the ‘flowback’ to an Energy Resources Conservation Board approved waste-water disposal site. Flowback water can be reused up to four times, according to the LIPG, or until the chemistry is no longer suitable for their operations. … The LIPG did not have an exact amount of water they have purchased from the town during the past year.
[Refer also to: Cochrane reviews environmental and social policies on water use for hydraulic fracturing ]