Monitoring Water Quality in Areas of Oil and Natural Gas Development:

A Guide For Well Water Users

AirWaterGas Sustainability Research NetworkCommunity Outreach and Education

What is AirWaterGas?

The AirWaterGas Sustainability Research Network is a team of scientists, engineers, public health experts, economists, lawyers,

policy experts, and educators working on the same problem:

How do we maximize the benefits of natural gas and oil resources and minimize damages to water

and air resources and risks to human health?

AirWaterGas is a Sustainability Research NetworkFunded by the National

Science Foundation.

The goal of the Sustainability Research Network program is

to build networks of multidisciplinary teams to

address fundamental challenges in sustainability.

AirWaterGas research covers the Intermountain West.

AirWaterGas has 9 participating institutions.

The AirWaterGas Sustainability Research Network

The AirWaterGas network is composed of several research teams:

Oil & Gas Infrastructure

Water QuantityWater Quality

Air Quality

Water Treatment

Health Effects

Practices & Policies

Social-Economic Systems

Data Management

New Technologies

Education & Outreach

AirWaterGas Education & Outreach

This task team seeks to partner with community groups and K12 teachers to disseminate information and research results to a variety of public constituents.

Projects:• AirWaterGas Teacher Professional Development Program• AQIQ : Air Quality Education in Rural Schools• Community Small Grant Program

AirWaterGas Teacher Professional Development Program• Partnership between AirWaterGas and UCAR Center

for Science Education• Full program ran from Fall 2014 – Summer 2015• Improved teachers’ skill, interest, and STEM content

knowledge in the context of AirWaterGas SRN research.

• Developed suite of learning activities for educators to scaffold understanding of climate, environmental, and societal impacts of oil and gas development and use.

AirWaterGas Teacher Professional Development ProgramNew Curriculum

• Oil and Gas Development• Fracking Jello Activity• Separation of Mixtures Unit• Porosity Activity• Boomtown Monopoly Game

• Water Usage in Hydraulic Fracturing Lesson• Climate Change Activities• Global Warming Potential Activities• Energy City Game Activity• Properties of Greenhouse Gases Activity

Curriculum Posted on www.airwatergas.org

AirWaterGas Teacher Professional Development Program

“My students want to have conversation about how fossil fuels are obtained and used, but there are clear misconceptions, one-sided ideals, and definite limitations to their discussion.”

Spring 2016 Online CourseApril 8 – May 22 2016

Impacts of Oil and Natural Gas Development and Use on EarthFor MS and HS Science Teachers. If you are

interested, we could open it up to Community College faculty. Email Lisa Gardiner at

lisagard@ucar.edu

U-Pods : Next-Generation Low Cost Air Quality Monitoring Technology

• Versatile, continuous monitors • Total cost < $1000 per device• Open-source design • Measures:• Gas-phase species• Temperature and humidity• Wind speed and direction

• Soon to be available for checkout at the CU Museum of Natural History

Air Quality InQuiry (AQIQ) Project• CU Engineering students are teaching a project based learning unit

on air quality using U-POD air quality monitors developed at CU Boulder at 3 high schools in Delta County, CO and 2 high schools in Weld County, CO.

• High school students conduct independent research projects using U-PODs to measure CO2, ozone, and volatile organic compounds.

Air Quality InQuiry (AQIQ) Curriculum

Module 1 – Air Quality Research and Measurements Introduction

Module 2 – Data Collection

Module 3 – Data Analysis

Module 4 – Study Design and Planning

[Student Projects]

Module 5 – Interpreting and Presenting your Results

Varied activities ensure students have the skills

necessary to conduct their own research

To be available on TeachEngineering Digital Curriculum Library in Spring 2016. Curriculum drafts available now.

AirWaterGas Community Grant Program• A total of $20k was awarded to six community groups in

2015 through a community small grant program• The goal of the program is to solicit and support

community based approaches to improving understanding of the risks and benefits of oil and gas development.

• 2015-16 Applications are now being accepted! Please pick up an RFP today if you are interested in applying.

2014-15 AirWaterGas Community Grant Awardees: “High Altitude Air Quality Monitoring” Soaring Eagle Ecology Center, Red Feather Lakes, CO “Baseline Air Quality Monitoring” Pagosa Springs High School, Pagosa Springs, CO “Utilizing U-Pod Technology to Emphasize STEM in

Poudre School District” Fort Collins Utilities, Fort Collins, CO “Air, Water, Energy, SW Colorado” Mountain Studies Institute, Durango, CO “Well Watch Project” Poudre Learning Center, Greeley, CO “South Park Preliminary Baseline Air Quality Study” Coalition for the Upper South Platte, Lake George, CO

AirWaterGas Community Grant Program

• 2015-16 Grant Applications due Tuesday, December 1, at 5:00 PM MST. Late and incomplete applications will not be accepted.

• Please use me to bounce around ideas, connect with AirWaterGas researchers or community groups.

Thank You!www.airwatergas.org

Katya HafichAirWaterGas Education & Outreach Coordinator

Katya.Hafich@colorado.edu(303) 492-9113