London (Platts)--11Nov2013/1017 am EST/1517 GMT

Water UK, a body which represents the major UK water and waste-water service suppliers, is expected to conclude in a study set to be published soon that risks of contamination to water supplies during shale gas exploration can be limited.

"The study is not actually out yet but it is due soon," a spokesman for Water UK told Platts Monday. "The water industry's view is that there are risks but they can be mitigated."

One of Water UK's previous main concerns was that the process of fracking could contaminate drinking water aquifers that overlie shale gas reserves by allowing gases such as methane to permeate into drinking water sources from rocks.

It previously warned the shale gas industry that the quality of drinking water must be protected at all costs but said it was "not taking sides" and wanted to work closely with the industry to realize the potential economic benefits of shale gas to the country.

United Utilities, one of the UK's largest water and waste-water companies supplying 7 million people in the northwest England, is already looking at working with shale gas explorer Cuadrilla and was considering allowing it to frack on its land.

Shale gas exploration in the UK although still in its early stages of development has met stiff opposition from anti-fracking protesters who fear that the industry could create air pollution, contaminate water supplies and threaten water supplies.

Those concerns, however, are looking more unfounded.

A draft report published by Public Health England last month -- an agency of the UK's department of health concluded that the risk to public health from exposure to emissions from shale gas extraction are low if operations are properly run and regulated.

It also concluded that the contamination of ground water from fracking is unlikely, and instances where it has been seen to occur were likely to be due to leakage through the vertical borehole rather than from the fracking process itself.

--Geraldine Anderson, geraldine.anderson@platts.com --Edited by Alisdair Bowles, alisdair.bowles@platts.com

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