PennEnergy surrenders water permits for Pennsylvania creek

PennEnergy Resources has withdrawn its permits to draw water from Big Sewickley Creek in western Pennsylvania, a decision welcomed by environmentalists who say the move reflects growing concerns over climate variability and surface water demand from the fracking industry.

A natural gas company has surrendered its permits to pump water from a western Pennsylvania creek in a move welcomed by environmentalists fearful of rising industrial demand for surface water and the growing threat of climate change.

PennEnergy Resources asked the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in April to rescind its permits to withdraw 1.5 million gallons per day from Big Sewickley Creek in Beaver County, near Pittsburgh. The company said the creek would likely not provide enough water for eight nearby horizontal wells.

Years earlier, PennEnergy had requested to withdraw 3 million gallons per day from the main stem of the creek and another million from its north fork. DEP denied the initial application due to risks posed to the southern redbelly dace, a fish species listed as threatened in Pennsylvania. The company later revised its request, and in January 2024, the agency approved the smaller 1.5 million gallon-per-day withdrawal.

However, PennEnergy later determined that streambed changes would make it difficult to meet permit conditions for minimum bypass flow. “We noted naturally occurring alterations of the stream-bed conditions making it unlikely that our approved withdrawal location would be viable,” said PennEnergy spokesperson Amanda Peterson.

Peterson declined to say if the company had secured an alternative water source but stated that each well requires between 9 and 18 million gallons of water for hydraulic fracturing, about two-thirds of which is recycled. She emphasized that the permit surrender was voluntary and not the result of public pressure or regulatory mandates.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, typically uses around 4 million gallons of water per well—equivalent to New York City’s water use every six minutes, according to the American Petroleum Institute. Critics argue that using surface water from creeks for industrial purposes jeopardizes public resources.

Environmental advocates had urged PennEnergy to source water from larger rivers like the Ohio instead of the smaller Big Sewickley Creek. The company initially dismissed that option, citing a preference to minimize truck traffic by withdrawing water close to its well pad.

Katie Stanley, president of the Big Sewickley Creek Watershed Association, called the company’s reversal a win for the local environment. “Big Sewickley Creek does not have sufficient flow, and other water sources should have been more thoroughly considered,” she said.

Rose Reilly, the association’s treasurer, noted there was no official evidence that public opposition drove the permit surrender, but volunteers had planned to monitor compliance. Reilly also pointed out that a significant portion of the creek’s flow bypasses the proposed withdrawal site—up to 70% after heavy rains earlier this year.

Had the withdrawal moved forward, it would have harmed the creek’s water quality and water table, threatening wildlife, including the southern redbelly dace, Reilly said.

DEP spokesperson Brandon Glass confirmed that the permit rescission was voluntary and noted that such actions are not uncommon among oil and gas operators.

Emma Bast, a staff attorney at PennFuture, said PennEnergy’s conclusion could serve as a precedent for other companies as climate change alters rainfall patterns. Following the 2024 drought and unpredictable rain in 2025, reliance on surface water may seem increasingly risky for industrial users, including fracking operations and data centers.

Heather Hulton VanTassel, executive director of Three Rivers Waterkeeper, said the volume of water PennEnergy sought from Big Sewickley Creek was unusually large. She warned that fracking will increasingly strain water systems in southwestern Pennsylvania. “It’s a matter of time,” she said.

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