Waste to Water: Oil and gas industry looks to mitigate water waste during boom

Waste to Water: Oil and gas industry looks to mitigate water waste during boom

A 2018 study conducted by Duke University titled “The Intensification of the Water Footprint of Hydraulic Fracturing,” reported the fresh water used nationally in fracking increased to 770 percent from 2011 to 2016, while wastewater volumes within the first year of production grew by 550 percent.  In the Permian Basin, production showed the greatest increase of any basin, 290 percent from 2011 to 2016, according to the study. “Water use and wastewater production are two of the chief environmental concerns voiced about hydraulic fracturing,” Vengosh wrote in the study. “Yet until now we’ve had only a fragmented and incomplete understanding of how much water is actually being used, and how much wastewater is being produced.” As more is understood about the scale of the problem, the oil and gas industry’s attention has become focused on solutions beyond traditional disposal wells, including recycling and reuse. Read more of Adrian Hedden's story in the Carlsbad Current Argus HERE.