Altela Technology Demonstrated To Be Solution To Frac Wastewater Disposal Crisis

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa., May 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As natural gas producers and public water companies race to meet the May 19th deadline to stop releasing diluted hydrofracking water contaminated with bromide and radioactive material from shale gas extraction into the state's rivers, one company has stepped forward with a technology validated by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) and the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) that treats the water and meets the new regulations for clean water discharge.

Altela, Inc., a water purification company now co-operating a plant in Williamsport owned by Clean Streams LLC, has set up AltelaRain® 600 modules to receive water after the PA DEP asked for a voluntary stoppage of ineffective water treatment around the state.  Its first plant processes 100,000 gallons a day of frac flowback water and produced water, and many more plants are being planned around the state to treat wastewater from the thousands of natural gas wells in the state.

"Altela is the solution to the May 19th challenge," said Ned Godshall, CEO of Altela.  "Our product removes the salts, bromide, benzene, and radioactive material in the water, so it can then be reused for the next frac job or put back in the river with absolutely no human health risk."

The US DOE concurs.  In a press release April 13, 2011, it cites a study by its own National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), stating that an Altela demonstration project completed last year turned drilling frac water at a western PA gas well into usable water with TDS levels well below 500 mg/L (drinking water level).

The PA DEP has also weighed in on Altela's system.  "Altela was the first company in Pennsylvania to meet and exceed the new 500 mg/liter TDS level, when the DEP asked to test our water back in November 2009," said Matt Bruff, CDO.

"Altela is the solution," said Godshall.  "Both the PA DEP and the DOE have validated that Altela's simple and elegant products can remove all the various contaminants from oilfield water.  We're excited about providing a solution to help keep natural gas flowing for America's energy independence."

For full press release: http://www.altelainc.com/applications/detail/press-releases/

SOURCE Altela