Fracking, Water Use, and the Bush School: Aquifers Overdrawn and Policy Recommendations

The Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy publication, The Takeaway, features a study by Bush School students that says while fracking has brought these benefits:

• Economic benefits
• Environmental benefits

Fracking has also brought these harms:

• Adds to Texas water problem
  • The water used in fracking is pulling groundwater at a rate of 2.5 times the rate of aquifer recharge 
  • Estimated cost to fill the water infrastructure gap: $53 Billion

The study makes policy recommendations, including:

• “Incentives should be used to encourage reductions in HF water use;
• “Oil and gas com- panies could be offered severance tax reductions to substitute brackish groundwater for fresh groundwater;”
• ” Accurate and transparent data reporting on all water consumption (irrigation, munici- pal use, mining, and others)”; and
•  “policy changes to address inefficient water use practices in all sectors are needed. “

  KTBX College Station  The Bush School Report