Fort Worth residents will have the opportunity to learn about saltwater disposal wells and give their opinion on the practice.

Five public meetings are planned between Jan. 19 and Feb. 23. Each meeting will include a presentation by city staff on saltwater disposal, comments by a panel made up of industry members and residents, and a moderated discussion between the panel and the audience.

Following the public meetings, the City Council will be briefed on the results, and a public hearing is scheduled for March 6, 2012, at a City Council meeting.

A moratorium against saltwater disposal wells is in place until April 30, 2012. Without these wells, gas drilling companies must truck millions of gallons of water outside the city as a byproduct of the hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, process. Heavy truck traffic causes wear on city streets.

Here are the times and locations for the public meetings:

Jan. 19, Tarrant County College Corporate Training Center, 13600 Heritage Parkway, Suite 100

Jan. 26, Tarrant County College South Campus, Student Center, Room SSTU2105, 5301 Campus Dr

Feb. 2, Lost Creek Country Club, 4101 Lost Creek Blvd., Aledo

Feb. 9, TCC Opportunity Center, 5901 Fitzhugh Ave

Feb. 23, City Council Chambers, 1000 Throckmorton St

All meetings are 7-9 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 817-392-2851