CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

HARRISBURG -- One of the most active exploration companies on the Marcellus Shale natural gas formation said it is using a water-recycling system it devised.

Oil and gas company Range Resources Corp. said Monday it is reusing all the water it recovers from newly drilled wells in its core exploration area in southwestern Pennsylvania.

That adds up to millions of gallons of water being reused in Washington County.

The Fort Worth, Texas-based company said the recycling is cutting drilling costs, water use and trucking traffic while eliminating the dumping of wastewater into waterways.

Solids are filtered on location from the flowback before the water is piped above ground to a central impoundment. There it is mixed with fresh water to reduce salt and reused.