WATSON TOWNSHIP -- A truck hauling waste water for a company in the natural gas industry wrecked in Lycoming County Wednesday afternoon.
The crash sent thousands of gallons of "residual water" spilling into Pine Creek at the scene along Route 44 north of Jersey Shore.
It happened around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The Minuteman Environmental Services driver somehow crashed into a rock wall in Watson Township on his way to a gas well site, according to state police.
Fire officials said the truck was hauling a full load in excess of 4,600 gallons of the treated waste water that contains high salt levels and some chemicals used in the fracking process.
Hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" is the process of using liquid to break up underground shale to extract natural gas.
Firefighters placed booms in Pine Creek to catch any contamination. A detour was expected to be in place for hours after the crash.