An Analysis of Water Use in Hydraulic Fracturing Vs. Other Uses

It has often been said that hydraulic fracturing uses a relatively small amount of water when compared to other uses. Clearly, high volume horizontal well hydraulic fracturing is a relatively minor user of water at the national level, accounting for less than 0.1% of water use when compared to other water uses such as irrigation and public water supply. However, the question remains as to whether or not this ratio of usage between sectors remains consistent down to the local level. In this presentation we will discuss the findings of a comparative analysis of water use in the sectors of irrigation, public water supply, and hydraulic fracturing at decreasing geographic scales in three oil and gas producing states (Texas, Pennsylvania, North Dakota) to determine whether or not the relationship between water usage in these sectors remains relatively static from national to county levels. Further we will evaluate the relative use between states to determine what effect substantial reuse of water for hydraulic fracturing has on overall water use when compared to other sectors.  To analyze water usage across the three sectors, data from USGS water use publications and the FracFocus© chemical registry were utilized. Where unique state or regional conditions might apply, additional information from state regulatory agencies was utilized to ensure that water usage was consistent with agency figures.