Fracking is using up US aquifers (NY Times)
As the oil and gas industry continues to develop their fracking technology, the risks to nearby aquifers grow
The process of fracking requires pumping huge amounts of water into wells to apply pressure and release the fossil fuels
There is little regulation around the groundwater usage allowing oil companies to use water as they see fit
In addition to using the water in the aquifers there is fear that the process could contaminate sources of drinking water
Oil companies tout their ability to manage their water usage and often reuse the fracking water
If these large fracking operations continue to demand huge amounts of water regulation may start to increase providing an opportunity for many water companies
Many companies in the water space are focused on industrial water - not only are the needs increasing, but as water becomes more scarce the high usage will attract more attention
President approves emergency declaration for Louisiana (White House press release)
As saltwater moving up the Mississippi River threatens New Orlean's water supply major news outlets are tracking the situation frequently in a countdown like manner similar to major storms (NY Times, Washington Post, CNN)
The Sewer and Water Board of New Orleans has issued a precautionary boil water advisory
New Orleans pumps water from the the Mississippi river and goes through treatment, but does not have a process for desalinating the water
Citizens are going to have to rely on the US Army Corps of Engineers for 35 million gallons of fresh water daily
The low flow, due to the dry conditions this year, allowing salt water from the Gulf of Mexico to move up the river
Coastal communities threatened by saltwater intrusion (Bloomberg)
Decades of soil contamination along the coasts combined with rising groundwater levels from increase sea levels threaten to release toxic chemicals to the public
While much of the country is challenged by shrinking groundwater, the coastlines are dealing with salt water intrusion as sea levels rise
This raises groundwater levels near the coast which can carry chemicals to groundwater used for drinking water
The impacted communities tend to be those made up of minorities and lower income populations
Coastal groundwater is not mapped across much of the country limiting information available to make decisions to address the issue