Ensuring Safe Water

We know that Wyoming’s water is one of our greatest resources. That’s why CALC actively provides leadership and feedback on policies and regulations to protect residents from depletion or contamination of our water resources for present use and future generations to come. 

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Protect Your Water

Oil and gas companies are required to submit a groundwater baseline sampling and monitoring plan with an Application for Permit to Drill (“APD”). Wyoming law requires companies to do three rounds of water tests for water wells or other water sources within one-half mile of a proposed oil and gas well – but only from water sources identified in the company’s sampling plan.

You should request a copy of the water testing plan from the WOGCC or the oil and gas company. If your well is not included, you should ask the company to include it in their sampling plan. Even if your well is included in the sampling plan, you should consider getting your well independently tested to establish your water quality prior to development. This will be important to protect your rights if your water becomes contaminated during or after drilling.

Find a nearby lab here.

Wastewater from Oil and Gas Operations

The process of oil and gas extraction generates wastewater from the water extracted from the geological formations and from chemicals used during exploration, well drilling and production of oil and gas. Water used for production and brines (salts) are brought to the surface, then separated from the oil and gas resource at the surface and need to be disposed. Wastewater is primarily disposed through injection/disposal wells, aquifer exemptions, or Commercial Oilfield Waste Disposal Facilities (COWDFs).

According to the Wyoming Oil and Gas Tax Study, fracking operations require  2 – 5 million gallons per well. That amount is equivalent to 3 – 8 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

An injection well is used to place wastewater underground into porous geologic formations. These underground formations may range from deep sandstone or limestone, to a shallow soil layer. Injected fluids may include water, wastewater, brine (salt water), or water mixed with chemicals. Read more here.

Based on certain criteria, federal regulations allow the WOGCC, DEQ or EPA to exempt aquifers from drinking water standards to be used by energy and mining companies for disposal purposes. Read more here.

Commercial oil field wastewater disposal facilities (COWDFs), use large evaporation ponds to dispose of and treat oil and gas exploration and production wastes. Commercial oilfield wastewater disposal facilities are operated for profit and receive wastewater from one or more oil and gas operators.

Here is a list of all current COWDFs in Wyoming. 

In 2020, DEQ  updated the COWDF rules to eliminate grandfathering for older facilities exempt from financial assurance for cleanup. CALC supported these measures and others such as radioactivity monitoring, protecting floodplains and aquifers, and more.

  • Re-use of wastewater as much as possible, & safe measures for storage and treatment. 
  • Require full-cost reclamation bonding.
  • Greater setback distances.
  • Require facilities to have a sound monitoring plan & detection for radioactive waste. 
  • Requiring the best technology available to ensure no leaks & double lining.
  • Public notice and opportunity to comment.

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Neighbors need to stick together 

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