Clinton residents question source of water problems

— After Clinton’s water supply was tainted by recent flooding, residents spent days boiling water. At least one resident is still wondering why.

Don Richardson of Clinton remembers the flooding in 2008, when the water in Greers Ferry Lake was higher than he had ever seen it.

“We didn’t have this kind of problem in 2008,” he said. “The thing that has changed with our water is all of this disturbance from natural-gas extraction.”

Richardson should know. He works as a field officer for Pew Charitable Trusts and serves on the Natural Resources and Oil and Gas Advisory boards.

But Richardson isn’t talking about hydrolic fracturing chemicals. In fact, those are the least of his worries after the Oil and Gas Advisory Board tested the county’s surface water.

The board announced the tested water came back clear after 18 tests were performed on three rivers, four creeks, one spring and three wells.

“With our testing, we established a baseline,” Richardson said. “We sampled upstream of the well sites and then some downstream. We didn’t expect to find anything. We will probably do some more sampling in the next six months or so, but I maintain that the biggest problem we have is sedimentation.”

Richardson believes the construction of drill pads and roads leading to the drill pads, as well as debris from last year’s tornado in Scotland, has washed sediment and pollution into the water.

Clinton Mayor Roger Rorie agreed and said other reasons for excess sediment include the March wildfires that burned 800 acres just north of Clinton, as well as a local farm that was washed away by the recent flood.

“There was a tremendous amount of dirt,” Rorie said.

He said the natural-gas industry’s construction is also a contributing factor but is probably the fourth-largest contributor to the problem.

“We are very reluctant to accuse anyone until we have definite proof of anything,” Rorie said.

Water and Sewer Department Manager Roy Keeling was out of the office at press time and not available to comment.

With drier summer months ahead, and more normal conditions with less rain than the north-central part of the state has seen lately, Richardson has another water-related concern.

“They are building a lot of ponds to collect water for fracking,” Richardson said. “My concern is that the number and size of those ponds will be keeping water from getting into our creeks and streams to support the flora and fauna in our streams and rivers.”

Richardson said he plans to address these concerns with the Oil and Gas Advisory Board, as well as with natural-gas-industry professionals.

“We tried really hard in this last session of the Legislature to require them to use the best management practices,” Richardson said. “I try to remind them of their stewardship obligations.”

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