Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources

Sources Contributing Inorganic Species to Drinking Water Intakes During Low Flow Conditions on the Allegheny River in Western Pennsylvania

Norris et al. EPA Report. May 2015.

Summary

EPA scientists evaluated sources of bromide and other inorganic pollutants impacting drinking water intakes on the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania to examine the potential impacts related to the treatment and disposal of oil and gas well produced wastewater. Study results demonstrate that multiple sources contributed bromide concentrations to public drinking water intakes on the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania, with the major sources being centralized oil and gas wastewater treatment facilities that treat wastewater from hydraulic fractured wells, and coal-fired power plants that use flu-gas desulfurization. This research study is also significant in demonstrating the application of source apportionment techniques to evaluate a complex array of source impacts on public drinking water system intakes. This work was done as part of EPA’s Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources.

  • Sources Contributing Inorganic Species to Drinking Water Intakes During Low Flow Conditions on the Allegheny River in Western Pennsylvania (pdf) (5.5 MB)

EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources

  • Final Assessment
  • EPA Published Research
  • Fact Sheets
  • Questions & Answers about the Final Assessment
Contact Us about EPA's Hydraulic Fracturing Study
Contact Us about EPA's Hydraulic Fracturing Study to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on May 12, 2025
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.