Huge Methane Gas Pipelines Proposed in North Carolina and Virginia Could Harm Drinking Water

Is your drinking water source in or near a proposed pipeline’s path? These maps can help you find out.

Methane gas pipelines can pose a threat to drinking water, in more ways than one.1 These maps show major water crossings & public water supplies close to proposed pipelines routes. Rivers or streams identified as a source of drinking water are highlighted in pink.

Private well users within 1000ft of a proposed pipeline’s route may want to test their well water, before and after pipeline construction, to protect their water supply.2 This can help hold pipeline developers accountable for any changes in well water quality or quantity, caused by pipeline construction or contamination.

Read our updated press release about these maps here.

Data for these maps came from FracTracker Alliance and other public sources. Learn more about the methods and data used to create these maps here.

Learn more about drinking water contamination, well water testing, and what you can do to oppose these pipelines below.

Southeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline- Drinking Water Sources Map

Click here to view the SSEP in full screen

Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) Southgate- Drinking Water Sources Map

Click here to view MVP Southgate in full screen

T-15 Pipeline- Drinking Water Sources Map

Click here to view the T-15 pipeline in full screen

Drinking Water Contamination

Pollution into a river or creek upstream of a drinking water intake or reservoir can harm water quality. Drilling underground & pipeline chemicals risk contaminating groundwater.1

Rivers, Streams, Lakes & Reservoirs

  • Pollution from methane gas pipelines can raise the cost of filtering your water so it is safe to drink.1
  • More polluted water might need more chemicals to treat it, also increasing costs.3
  • Extreme pollution caused by flooding from storms can make filtration systems ineffective, as happened to Asheville during Hurricane Helene.4

Groundwater & Private Wells

  • Drilling underground can connect groundwater sources that were unconnected. If one of those groundwater sources is polluted, that connection can contaminate wells nearby.1
  •  Pipeline construction and operation may contribute to arsenic and radon in groundwater.5 Rockingham County is one of 8 NC counties identified as high risk for radon in soil6 & moderate risk for groundwater7. All three pipelines proposed cross the county.
  • Fuels and chemicals can spill during construction. Cancer-causing chemicals like benzene can be found in methane gas pipelines during operation.1

Methane Gas Pipeline Accidents

  •  A 2013 methane gas pipeline spill in Parachute, Colorado contaminated local soil and groundwater, with levels of benzene 3,600 times above the state’s health standard.1
  • In 2017, construction was suspended on the Mariner East 2 pipeline due to well contamination Chester County, PA. Safe replacement water had to be supplied until a permanent solution (like connecting to water lines or filtration systems) could be provided.1

What You Can Do

Tell NC DEQ why you oppose these pipelines (water quality concerns, environmental impacts, concerns for higher utility bills, etc.):

 

      • The deadline to submit online comments for the SSEP Pipeline is October 6th at 5 pm. Fill out the online comment form with this info: project name: Southeast Supply Enhancement Project, project #: 20240801, & version: 2. Talking points for the SSEP Pipeline are here.

 

      • Ask NC DEQ to protect your well water by requiring the pipeline builders to pay for independent pre-testing and post-testing of wells within 1000ft of the pipeline’s route.

Upcoming Events

Get Involved!

  • Join our email list for updates and action alerts on the NC gas buildout. Visit nossep.org and stopmvpsouthgate.com for more info, events, & local petitions.
  • Volunteer with us! We will make sure you’re plugged in where you’d like to focus on (Advocacy, outreach, research, writing articles, etc.) Fill out the volunteer form if you’re interested.
  • Donate to Clean Water for North Carolina! Your donation helps us support communities organizing to protect their water from these projects!

Testing Your Private Well

What you can do if you’re concerned about your well water supply from these proposed pipelines:

If you have a well that’s within 1,000 feet of any of these proposed pipelines, getting your well pre-tested before construction begins and testing afterward can help you document any well water quality changes due to the pipeline construction.

Why 1000 feet? When the mainline of Mountain Valley Pipeline was constructed in Virginia, Virginia’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety recommended wells be identified and protected within 1000ft of the proposed route.2 MVP Southgate would be an extension of MVP mainline, and the other two pipelines have even larger diameters, warranting a similar level of testing.

You can test your well for bacteria, inorganic contaminants (like arsenic), pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and radon through your local health department. Learn more about well testing here.

Sources

  1. Rooke, J., Faeth, P., Krop, R., Epstein, A., Sklenar, K., Tuccillo, M.E., Taylor, A., and Hanson, L. (2019). Environmental and Social Costs of Natural Gas Pipeline Development in the Delaware River Basin. Prepared by The Cadmus Group LLC for The New Jersey Conservation Foundation
  2. Virginia Office of Environmental Health and Safety, (2016). “Memorandum on Mountain Valley Pipeline Project“
  3. Warziniack, T., Sham, C. H., Morgan, R., & Feferholtz, Y. (2016). Effect of Forest Cover on Drinking Water Treatment Costs.
  4. Reese, S. (2025) “USACE enhances water treatment for Asheville amid Hurricane Helene recovery efforts”
  5. Barringer, J.L. and Onstott, T.C. (2017). Docket No. CP15-558-000: Proposed PennEast Pipeline Project: Response to “Attachment C Response to T.C. Onstott Stockton Comments” by Dr. Michale Serfes. Submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission January 26, 2017.
  6. Environmental Protection Agency (2014). “North Carolina – EPA Map of Radon Zones”
  7. Bradley, P.J.and Campbell, T. (2006). “Areas of Relative Susceptibility to Elevated Radon in Groundwater in North Carolina” Prepared for North Carolina Geological Survey and North Carolina Division of Water Resources.