Most water used for fracking new shale wells in Pennsylvania comes from produced water (i.e. brine)–from other shale wells. Produced water is water from the depths, far below the surface water table, that comes out of a drilled shale well for months and years after the well is drilled. The water is naturally occurring but full of minerals that make it salty–hence the moniker of brine water. While it’s naturally occurring thousands of feet below the surface, produced water is not “natural” when sitting on top of the ground. Unfortunately, Seneca Resources recently experienced a sizable spill of produced water when pumping it to a well the company was fracking on State Game Lands in Jones Township, Elk County.
