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May 15, 2013 / in Blog Articles

The following clip makes us aware of the dangers of fracking in water supply stressed areas such as the Karoo.Almost half of the more than 25,000 shale gas and oil wells in the United States are located in areas where water supply is already stressed, a new report from sustainability organization Ceres has revealed. Researchers warn that fracking to extract shale gas poses risks to water supplies in regions like Texas and Colorado, which are already seriously threatened by drought.The report, Hydraulic Fracturing & Water Stress: Growing Competitive Pressures for Water, says that fracking operators should increase water reuse and the amount of non-fresh water used in order to limit their reliance on fresh water that could be used for other purposes. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process in which shale gas is extracted from underground rock formations but it requires extremely large amounts of water in the process.Researchers used drilling and water use data for 25,450 wells that were in operation between January 2011 and September 2012 and compared this with water stress indicator maps created by the World Resources Institute. Results showed that 47 percent of the wells were developed in water basins with high or extremely high water stress, which is defined as cases where more than 80 percent of the water available in the area is already allocated for municipal, industrial and agricultural uses.Filcon Filters is a leading South African liquid filtration specialist providing clear solutions for the most difficult applications. Together with our international partners we can offer advice on water reuse and water treatment.