Securing Water Use

Hydraulic fracturing uses a significant amount of water, 3 to 7 million gallons. Prior to water use, it may be necessary to conduct water availability studies in order to obtain permits and to help understand the impacts that water use may have on sensitive aquatic habitats, watersheds, receiving waters and aquifers.

A pressure transducer, such as the YSI Level Scout, can be used to conduct pump tests on the source aquifer. The data from the pump test can be used to determine hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer and determine whether or not pumping large amounts of water will negatively impacted nearby residential or municipal wells or affect local stream flow.

SonTek instruments can be used to conduct water flow and discharge measurements in surface water systems. This data can be used to help secure water use permits and help understand if water use will negatively impact water systems downstream.

 

 

 

 

Collecting Water Quality Data

Prior to developing a well, it is best practice to gather baseline water quality data in nearby wells and surface water bodies. With moving heavy equipment to rural areas, the increased erosion could potentially impact small watersheds. There is also risk that flow back water could spill during treatment and/or transport; therefore, it is important to collect baseline water quality information from nearby groundwater and surface water systems prior to drilling as well as continue to sample or monitor during operations to ensure that there is no change in regional water quality due to the drilling activities.

Collecting Ground Water Quality Data

Most YSI field instruments have flow cells available as a standard accessory. Water is pumped out of the well and through a flow cell where Dissolved Oxygen, Conductivity, Temperature, Salinity, TDS, pH, ORP, Nitrate, Chloride and/or Turbidity can be measured. By pumping water slowing and using a flow cell, basic water quality characteristics which are representative of the aquifer’s water quality, can be collected. 

A YSI field instrument with flow cell is also a critical component of low-flow purge studies where water samples are collected and sent to a lab for additional analysis. For low-flow purge studies, the YSI instrument monitors DO, Conductivity, pH, ORP, and Temperature for stability to determine when samples should be collected.

Many YSI field instruments have a small diameter and can easily fit down a 2-inch monitoring well for in-situ data collection of Dissolved Oxygen, Conductivity, Temperature, Salinity, TDS, pH, ORP, Nitrate, Chloride and/or Turbidity data. These instruments can be used to spot sample a well or be deployed to continuously monitor groundwater quality. For continuous monitors, the data can be downloaded periodically or transferred via radio, cellular or satellite telemetry.  

The YSI photometer can be used to quickly analyze samples for various analytes including: Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, Total Hardness, Chlorides, Manganese, Iron, pH and Sulfate.  

Collecting Surface Water Quality Data  

YSI field instruments are designed to withstand the harshest field conditions. Both spot sampling and continuous monitoring instruments can be used to collect baseline water quality data in nearby streams, rivers and lakes. 

Common parameters include Dissolved Oxygen, Conductivity, Salinity, TDS, Temperature, pH, ORP, and Turbidity. For sampling studies, a small handheld field instrument dips the sensors in the water and records the measurements. A large area within the watershed can be covered quickly. For monitoring studies, a user programs a logging instrument to autonomously record data at predefined intervals prior to deploying the instrument. Data can either be stored in the system for later download or transmitted to a computer or to the web via a telemetry system.

The YSI photometer can be used to quickly analyze samples for various analytes including: Calcium, Chlorides, Manganese and Iron.  

Sampling and Monitoring Flow Back (Produced) Water

About 10 to 50% of the injected water is recovered from the well. In addition to the chemicals used to develop the well, the produced water comes back as brine due to the geology of the fracked well.   

The water coming out of the well is typically treated on-site so it can be recycled for reuse in the hydraulic fracturing process, released to a treatment facility or injected into the ground for storage. The back flow water is brine and may require TDS, Chloride, Turbidity and pH sampling or monitoring to determine when it is ready for reuse or transport. YSI sampling or process monitors can be used to monitor the on-site treatment process. If ozone is used for treatment, an ORP process monitor can be used to monitoring the effectiveness of the treatment.

YSI sensors can be scaled to meet your budget and configured to meet your monitoring needs, including these applications:

• Establishing baseline data in areas prior to hydraulic fracturing
• Monitoring groundwater, streams and rivers for dewatering events during water extraction
• Monitoring ground water for methane or fracture fluid intrusion
• Monitoring erosion and sedimentation from land development
• Monitoring surface or ground water for flow-back fluid leakage or spills

 

 

 

		6600V2 Make the most of your environmental monitoring.   The YSI 6600 V2 data sonde is the most comprehensive water quality monitoring equipment available with simultaneous measurement of conductivity (salinity), temperature, depth or level, pH/ORP plus...
		6920 V2 Compact Data Sonde for Unattended Monitoring   The YSI 6920 V2 sonde is an economical water quality logging system, ideal for long-term in situ monitoring and profiling. Real-time turbidity monitoring, dissolved oxygen monitoring, algae monitoring, and more.
		6820 V2 Compact Sonde for Field Sampling   The YSI 6820 V2 is a cost-effective data sonde for profiling and spot-checking water quality in rivers, lakes, wetlands, wells, estuaries, and coastal waters.
		600XL V2 and 600XLM V2 Small Packages - Economical Sampling or Logging Both the YSI 600XL V2 (sampling) and the YSI 600XLM V2 (logging) data sondes offer economical solutions in small packages for surface water and ground water applications. Both models easily fit into 2-inch wells and measure a range of fundamental parameters, including oxygen - with the YSI ROX™ optical dissolved oxygen sensor - and level, using a highly-accurate vented sensor.
		600LS Precise Level Measurement in a Compact Sonde   Measure level, flow, temperature and conductivity with the compact 600LS sonde. Rugged and waterproof, the YSI 600LS is perfect for tide gauge monitoring, wetlands level applications, ground water, estuaries, rivers, and more.
		Level Scout® Level and Temperature   Accurate measurements, rugged design, and easy data management make the Level Scout ideal for groundwater monitoring, long-term surface water studies, resource management, aquifer/pump tests, Soil Vapor Extraction, wastewater intake monitoring and leachate monitoring.
		Professional Plus Handheld Multiparameter Instrument   The YSI Professional Plus handheld multiparameter meter provides extreme flexibility for the measurement of a variety of combinations for dissolved oxygen, conductivity, specific conductance, salinity, resistivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, ORP, pH/ORP combination, ammonium (ammonia), nitrate, chloride and temperature. Also a very powerful lab instrument for BODs, pH and ORP.
		Pro2030 Field Dissolved Oxygen / Conductivity "YSI did a great job on this design.  Our staff of about 20 people consists of old veterans to recent college grads, and not one so far has had a negative comment." The Pro2030 provides everything you need in a handheld dissolved oxygen meter that automatically compensates for changes in salinity values. Rugged, simple and reliable. Measure DO, salinity, conductivity, specific conductance, TDS, barometric pressure and temperature.
		9300 / 9500 Photometer Waterproof, rugged, easy to use photometers   The YSI 9300 and YSI 9500 are economical photometers in small packages for any application. These portable photometers allow you to easily take readings directly in the field for 100+ parameters.
		pHotoFlex Colorimeters The pHotoFlex line of colorimeters is the newest addition to YSI's full range of colorimeters. These rugged, waterproof, multiparameter colorimeters are ideal for laboratory and field testing.
		IQ SensorNet 2020 XT Improve Operational Efficiency with Continuous Data With an easily scalable solution, the 2020 XT allows for the connection of up to 20 sensors. This modular plug-and-play system allows you to monitor the water quality in your wastewater system continuously and accurately. "We haven't had any issues and are very happy with it. Installation and setup are very user friendly."
		IQ SensorNet 182 Models Improve Operational Efficiency with Continuous Data With an easily scalable solution the 182, 182 XT, and 182 XT-4 allow for the connection of 1-4 sensors depending on which terminal you choose. Add sensors at any time and at any location or change them out with ease. This completely modular plug-and-play system allows you to monitor the water quality in your wastewater or aquaculture system continuously and accurately.

Application Notes

Network Monitors Water Quality in Shale Gas Drilling Region