HARRISBURG — A Marcellus Shale industry organization says it now believes the natural gas exploration industry is partly responsible for rising levels of contaminants being found in Pittsburgh-area drinking water.

Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, said today she’ll provide specifics in coming days about actions that coalition members will take on the matter.

She says her organization came to this conclusion after seeing research from Carnegie Mellon University and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority.

Bromide, a salt, is present in drilling wastewater that is partially treated by sewer authorities and discharged into rivers that supply drinking water.

Bromide reacts with chlorine disinfectants used by drinking water systems and creates trihalomethanes. That chemical can be harmful to people who drink water with elevated levels of trihalomethanes for many years.