As the result of historic oilfield brine contamination, saltwater may be encountered when constructing a water supply well into the Permian bedrock in the areas listed below and as depicted on the maps listed. Very high chloride concentrations can be present in the Permian bedrock making this water unusable and posing a significant risk to the environment if encountered. Groundwater high in chloride concentration may also be encountered in the overlying unconsolidated aquifer, limiting the use of this groundwater for most purposes.

We believe water wells should not be constructed in these areas because encountering the saltwater could result in additional adverse impacts to the environment, the water is not usable and encountering the contaminated groundwater could spread the contamination. Counties that contain contaminated sites include Barber, Decatur, Ellis, Graham, Harvey, Harvey/Reno, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kingman, Linn, McPherson, Montgomery, Morton, Neosho, Pawnee, Reno, Rice, Rooks, Russel, Sedgwick, Stafford,and Wilson.

Questions?

For additional information, call us at 785-296-3565 or contact the Kansas Corporation Commission at 620-225-8888.

Brine Contamination Sites