HUDSON, Colo. -- State officials are testing more water wells in the Fort Lupton area after hearing from residents who want to know if they're in danger of the same problem that caused a neighbor's tap water to catch fire.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission met Friday in Hudson with about 40 residents worried that their water wells might be tainted with natural gas. Gas was found in a well owned by Amee and Jesse Ellsworth.

The Ellsworths say they've had problems with their water since last fall and discovered their water could be set on fire because of gas seeping into the house.

Dave Neslin of the oil and gas commission says an abandoned gas well might be the cause but the state is still investigating.

"We haven't seen anything that exceeds a health-based standard," said Ron Falco, drinking water project manager for the state health department.

In addition to the COGCC, and state health department, they heard from the two largest natural gas producers in Weld County's Wattenburg field, Andarko and Noble Energy.

They have volunteered to provide drinking water and methane gas mitigation for one affected resident.

Speakers were patient, explaining that methane is also a naturally occurring gas found in well water and underground aquifers.

"It can create a safety risk and that's the real risk. If that builds up in an enclosed space, it can create an explosion," Dave Neslin, director for the COGCC said.

In fact, a leaking pipe caused a natural gas explosion in Pueblo on Nov. 13, 2008, killing one woman and destroying the Branch Inn restaurant.

Natural gas is 70 to 90 percent methane, according to naturalgas.org.

A leaky well in a county with more than 13,000 of them is another possibility under investigation now.

So far, a total of nine gas wells (a tiny fraction of the total) have been tested and cleared.

The first complaint to the COGCC came in September 2008.

They were asked if they notified residents or county leaders at that time.

The answer was no. The problem appeared localized to one person and was not a public health issue.

Several residents groaned in disapproval.

Two Weld County commissioners also expressed frustration that notification was not made and that the timeframe for finding the source of the gas could stretch out two to three months.

An abandoned or "orphan" gas well dug in 1946 will get close inspection as a possible source of the methane.

The COGCC offered to inspect any suspect wells in the area.