93
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. J. Soeder, Fracking and the Environment,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59121-2_6
Chapter 6
Fracking and Water
Water issues related to fracking fall into two categories: water supply and water
quality. Large, staged fracks can require millions of gallons of water, so the first
concern is water supply, or more precisely water “availability,” which refers to the
allocation of water resources. Water supplies used for fracking can reduce the water
available for human drinking water needs, or it can reduce the amount of water
available in streams for aquatic ecosystems (Entrekin et al. 2018). Adequate drinking water supplies and minimum flows in streams must both be maintained.
Fracking does not require pristine water of drinking quality. Raw water from
surface bodies is typically used on shale plays in wetter regions. In semi-arid locations like the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico, and in the Eagle Ford play
near the Mexican border, undrinkable, brackish water from salty aquifers below the
fresh groundwater supply is commonly used for fracking (Soeder 2017). Some
companies have even considered using seawater for hydraulic fracturing. However,
there are limits on the amount of TDS that can be tolerated in frack water, and if
levels become too high, the performance of some chemical additives are inhibited.
The second concern is water quality, which can be at risk for contamination from
the large volumes of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations, the fluids
returned to the ground surface from the well after fracking is completed, and the
potential for toxic substances to leach into the groundwater from drill cuttings, drilling mud, and other materials left behind on the well pad (Soeder and Kent 2018).
An additional worry for groundwater is the potential for “stray gas” to migrate into
shallow aquifers from breached casing or cracked wellbore cement.
The main risks to surface water and groundwater quality have been identified as
gas migration, contaminant transport through induced and natural fractures, wastewater discharge, and accidental spills (Vidic et al. 2013). Other researchers have
identified similar risks, phrased slightly differently as stray gas in shallow aquifers,
water contamination from spills or leaks of chemicals and shale gas wastewater, and
accumulation of toxic and radioactive elements in soil or sediments (Vengosh et al.
2014; Lefebvre 2016).
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. J. Soeder, Fracking and the Environment,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59121-2_6
Chapter 6
Fracking and Water
Water issues related to fracking fall into two categories: water supply and water
quality. Large, staged fracks can require millions of gallons of water, so the first
concern is water supply, or more precisely water “availability,” which refers to the
allocation of water resources. Water supplies used for fracking can reduce the water
available for human drinking water needs, or it can reduce the amount of water
available in streams for aquatic ecosystems (Entrekin et al. 2018). Adequate drinking water supplies and minimum flows in streams must both be maintained.
Fracking does not require pristine water of drinking quality. Raw water from
surface bodies is typically used on shale plays in wetter regions. In semi-arid locations like the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico, and in the Eagle Ford play
near the Mexican border, undrinkable, brackish water from salty aquifers below the
fresh groundwater supply is commonly used for fracking (Soeder 2017). Some
companies have even considered using seawater for hydraulic fracturing. However,
there are limits on the amount of TDS that can be tolerated in frack water, and if
levels become too high, the performance of some chemical additives are inhibited.
The second concern is water quality, which can be at risk for contamination from
the large volumes of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations, the fluids
returned to the ground surface from the well after fracking is completed, and the
potential for toxic substances to leach into the groundwater from drill cuttings, drilling mud, and other materials left behind on the well pad (Soeder and Kent 2018).
An additional worry for groundwater is the potential for “stray gas” to migrate into
shallow aquifers from breached casing or cracked wellbore cement.
The main risks to surface water and groundwater quality have been identified as
gas migration, contaminant transport through induced and natural fractures, wastewater discharge, and accidental spills (Vidic et al. 2013). Other researchers have
identified similar risks, phrased slightly differently as stray gas in shallow aquifers,
water contamination from spills or leaks of chemicals and shale gas wastewater, and
accumulation of toxic and radioactive elements in soil or sediments (Vengosh et al.
2014; Lefebvre 2016).