The Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department has the ability to collect water well samples for individuals concerned with water well contamination in conjunction with gas well drilling.  The health department charges a small fee for the collection of samples.The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Office of Laboratory Services charges a set fee for testing water samples specific to oil and gas pre-drilling.  (Currently this fee is $235.00 as of 3/28/11)  It is recommended that the tests be done prior to drilling and again after drilling has been completed.

The Oil and Gas Pre-Drilling testing parameters includes:

  • Alkalinity
  • Chloride
  • pH
  • Sulfate
  • Surfactants
  • Total Dissolved Solids
  • Total Hardness
  • Turbidity
  • Arsenic
  • Barium
  • Chromium
  • Iron
  • Sodium
  • Total Organic Carbon

The West Virginia Office of Laboratory Services can also test for the following Metals, Non-Metals and Organics for additional fees.These include:

Metals

  • Aluminum
  • Antimony
  • Arsenic
  • Barium
  • Beryllium
  • Cadmium
  • Chromium
  • Copper
  • Iron
  • Lead
  • Magnesium
  • Manganese
  • Mercury
  • Nickel
  • Selenium
  • Silver
  • Sodium
  • Thallium
  • Zinc

Non Metals

  • Alkalinity, Total
  • Calcium
  • Chloride
  • Chlorine (Free/Total)
  • Conductivity
  • Cyanide, Free
  • Calcium Hardness
  • Fluoride
  • Hydrogen Sulfide
  • Combined Nitrate + Nitrite
  • Nitrate
  • Nitrite
  • Orthophosphate
  • pH
  • Sulfate
  • Surfactants
  • Total Dissolved Solids
  • Total Hardness
  • Turbidity

Organics

  • Total Organic Carbon
  • SUVA

A laboratory fee, shipping fee and health department water testing fee ($35.00) apply for each time a sample is collected.  Fees may change due to current shipping costs.  Local private laboratories may be used to conduct the testing listed above or additional testing as requested.  If testing data generated from any sample is to be used or potentially used as evidence in litigation or an enforcement action, then:

  • The sample must be taken by a designated trained sampler
  • Designated samplers may be county or state sanitarians or state district engineers
  • Designated samplers must acquire sample kits directly from the laboratory
  • Samples for parameters that require ice for shipment must be received at the correct temperature within the specified holding time
  • The samples should be taken before the water has passed through any water purification equipment that may be installed.
  • Samples that have significant amounts of suspended material present will not be tested for surfactants, turbidity, chloride and sulfate

The customer should be aware that the sampling kit does not indicate that the water quality issues are directly linked to the Marcellus Shale fracking fluid. Each drilling company has their own fracking fluid recipe, which makes testing for individual compounds difficult. So, the test kit, if done before and after the Marcellus Shale drilling will identify changes in their water quality, which may be due to the drilling.

Arrangements and fees are the responsibility of the homeowner or person making the request.  Arrangements can be made for this service through the health department by contacting our environmental staff, at (304) 234-3682.

 

Related Pages

Private Labs for Water Testing