The trend toward mega-fracking, with longer and more extensive horizontal wellbores per well pad, means fracking uses much more water than it did 15 years ago, gulping up to 16 million gallons of water per well. Each shale gas well pad can have up to 20 wells.  Each well can be ‘fracked’ a dozen times or more. The water needs are enormous and can lead to drinking water depletion and problems disposing of ever-increasing amounts of toxic fracking wastewater.

 

Last Modified: May 26, 2023