A Cost-Benefit and Environmental Impact Analysis of Using Distributed Energy Sources to Treat Hydraulic Fracturing Wastewater in Texas' Permian Basin

Improvements in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) have enabled rapid growth in gas extraction from shale formations. While natural gas is relatively clean at the point of combustion, its production presents significant environmental challenges related to water and wastewater management. In Texas, the majority of wastewater from fracking is disposed via deep well injection, which effectively sequesters the water from future uses.

Distributed onsite wastewater treatment is another technological option: it could reduce wastewater volumes and mitigate water scarcity, which is projected to intensify due to more frequent drought and increased competition among freshwater users, including gas producers. Here, we establish an analytical framework for assessing the feasibility of onsite wastewater treatment (and reuse) within the gas sector. Using economic, energetic, and mass balance approaches, we assess the potential of integrated, co-located natural gas-, solar-, and wind-powered wastewater treatment to reduce water impacts of the energy sector in Texas’ Permian Basin.