ICYMI: Hydraulic Fracturing, a Net Water Producer in California

May 06, 2015

While activists have been quick to point the finger at the energy industry in the midst of the state’s drought, hydraulic fracturing is actually a net water producer in California and part of the solution to our water crisis.

In a recent radio interview, Rock Zierman of the California Independent Petroleum Association explains:

“We are net providers [of water] when it comes to hydraulic fracturing because it’s only a couple hundred acre feet that we are consuming and yet we are providing tens of thousands of acre feet to farmers who desperately need it in this drought situation.”

When considering the water generated from all in-state oil production this number is even higher. In Kern County alone, recycled water from energy production provides 10 billion gallons of water per year to farmers facing severe water cuts.

According to the State’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, California energy production extracts 15 barrels of water for every barrel of oil. This water is then recycled for other production methods, put back into the ground or cleaned and treated for agricultural use – all permitted by state regulators.

To listen to the interview, please click here.