How did oil get into family’s water well? FactFinder continues push for answers - KWCH

How did oil get into family’s water well? FactFinder continues push for answers

BUTLER COUNTY, Kan. (KWCH) - This week, FactFinder brought a situation to light in which oil found in a family’s water well left their only water source contaminated. FactFinder helped Jenna Krob and Shane Campbell get state agencies to respond to the problem. But the question remains, where did the oil come from that contaminated the water supply?

For Krob and Campbell, the problem began in mid-September with a smell.

“Almost burned your nostrils,” Krob said.

The problem soon presented itself in more than just the small.

“There was a thick film of oil in the toilet,” Krob said.

From there, it wasn’t long before there was oil in the sink, more oil in the toilet and even on the dishes. The oil eventually clogged the water well completely.

It wasn’t until after our FactFinder investigation that Krob and Campbell got the help they’d been looking for from the state. U.S. Senator Jerry Moran also reached out to help and the American Red Cross brought water. An Andover plumbing company even helped them get usable water running.

“Everybody that’s come out to help us with this, it’s exactly what we needed. Couldn’t be more thankful,” Campbell said.

After many conversations with Krob and Campbell, FactFinder wanted to know how oil was getting into their well. That took us to the Kansas Geological Society Library.

Kansas Geological Society Petroleum Geologist Doug Davis said the oil isn’t naturally making its way to the water.

“It’s leaking from something, not just from coming from way down there up to the surface. That’s not gonna happen,” Davis said.

He explained that oil is much deeper than water. Oil is about 2,500 feet below the surface and water is typically no deeper than 100 feet. And that oil has to be pumped.

“The pump is at the bottom, the jack is the mechanism running it and it pulls it to the surface,” Davis said.

Once the oil is at the surface, it’s pumped to a storage tank or battery. When it comes to contaminated water, the problem could be happening during this process.

“So, that may be the source of the oil right there, just the line going from the actual well to the storage tank,” Davis said.

He said that the line could have a hole in it from an accident or corrosion, and the issue could be from an oil well no longer in use.

“It could be that it’s an old well that’s not on the property but adjacent across the road or down the road aways,” Davis said.

With the oil already in the water, this is why the state is likely concerned.

“If it’s going down the water well hole, then it’s into the water section, so it could migrate because it’s gonna float on top of that fresh water,” Davis said.

Davis said there are a lot of possibilities for how oil contaminated Krob and Campbell’s water source, but until the state determines the source, it remains a big unknown. But, he said this is something that can be fixed.

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