The relationship between fracking and water usage is more complicated than you might think.
Many people think that the water/fracking relationship is straightforward. We use billions of gallons of water every year for fracking, and yes, that is a whole lot of water, but the story is a bit more complicated than it looks. According to a recent study by Duke University, fracking uses 250 billion gallons of water per year, but that is only about 1% of the total industrial water used in our nation. Power plants use about 300 billion gallons of water every year, miners use about 150 billion every year and crap irrigation in California uses about 20 billion gallons of water every day. As you can see, fracking isn’t the “water guzzler” people have made out it be.
The other side of the coin.
There are 2 sides to every story. Although fracking may not use as much water as other industries, the other industries don’t necessarily consume that entire amount of water because it retains a relatively clean state and can be returned back to its source. The other part of the process that needs to be considered is the waste water that fracking produces, which can cause earthquakes when reinjected and can contaminate local water supply when leaked out of frac tanks. The good news is that with waste water treatment from Well Water Solutions, not only can we avoid earthquakes and contaminated water, but we can also greatly reduce the amount of water needed for hydraulic fracturing.
The water and fracking relationship isn’t straightforward, but new innovations, like waste water treatment, can help to protect the environment and clear up the issue. Learn more about our leak-free frac tanks and water treatment process by contacting us today.
