( CNN ) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigating drinking water contamination in Pavillion , Wyoming , found benzene and methane in wells and in groundwater , agency officials said . At a community meeting with well owners , EPA officials revealed Tuesday they found low levels of petroleum compounds in 17 of 19 drinking water wells sampled , and that nearby shallow groundwater was contaminated with high levels of petroleum compounds such as benzene , according to the report . The affected well owners were advised not to drink the water at the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ' Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry , and told to use alternate sources of water for drinking and cooking , agency officials said . Meanwhile , the EPA is working with various government partners and EnCana , a natural gas company , to provide affected residents with water and to address potential sources of the contamination , agency officials said . The study included sampling 21 domestic wells within the area of concern , two municipal wells , plus sediment and water from a nearby creek . The EPA also sampled groundwater and soil from pit remediation sites , and produced water and condensate from five production wells operated by the primary natural gas operator in the area , agency officials said . No health concerns were found related to inhalation exposure to chemicals while showering or using evaporative coolers , agency officials said . The EPA has not reached any conclusions about the sources of chemical compounds found in drinking water wells , including hydraulic fracturing , or `` fracking , '' the controversial process used to extract natural gas from underground , agency officials said . Officials are uncertain if the contaminated shallow groundwater will migrate to the drinking water aquifer , according to the report . `` EPA will work as long as necessary to ensure that Pavillion residents have safe water , '' Jim Martin , EPA 's regional administrator in Denver , said in a statement released Tuesday . `` While our investigation continues , EPA has secured commitments from our partners to identify alternate sources of water for affected homes and to evaluate long-term solutions . '' In addition to detecting several petroleum hydrocarbons , the EPA found a number of `` inorganic constituents '' such as sodium and sulfates in drinking and groundwater wells , according to the report . In spring 2008 , residents of Pavillion -- concerned about the quality of their drinking water -- contacted the EPA in Denver , Colorado . The agency sampled 39 individual wells ( 37 residential wells and two municipal wells ) in March 2009 and found nitrate , arsenic and methane gas . The agency conducted the second sampling in January 2010 . Over the past week , officials from EPA and the federal agency for toxic substances met privately with individual residents to provide health information and recommendations based on well-specific sampling results , agency officials said .
Residents of a Wyoming town became concerned about well contamination in 2008 . EPA tests have revealed various chemical compounds . Affected well owners have been advised not to drink the water . Federal authorities have not determined the source of the compounds .