This booklet provides an introduction to drinking water issues. It draws from a body of independent, peer-reviewed expert consensus reports from the National Research Council to provide an overview of public water supply and demand, water management and conservation, options for the government and the private sector, and the economic and ecological aspects of drinking water.
See also: the Division of Earth and Life Studies.
National Research Council, et al. Management and effects of coalbed methane produced water in the Western United States. National Academies Press, 2010.
Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the United States (2010)
Key Finding
Produced water is thought to accumulate over millions of years, making it essentially a nonrenewable resource. Managing produced water therefore carries with it the responsibility to take all environmental considerations into account, rather than simply choosing the management option that comes at the least cost. Furthermore, the consequences of removing these stocks of water on local groundwater systems have not yet been thoroughly investigated.
Authoring Organizations
- Board on Earth Sciences and Resources (BESR)
- Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB)
- Earth and Life Studies (DELS)
See: Drinking Water: Understanding the Science and Policy behind a Critical Resource
See: New York State Water Resources Institute
See: Under the surface : fracking, fortunes and the fate of the Marcellus Shale
See: Environmental Issues and Challenges in Coal Bed Methane Production
See: Hazards posed by natural gas drilling are not limited to below ground
