Producing oil and gas requires pumping massive amounts of water into a formation to “push” the hydrocarbons out. This amount of water can draw down surrounding residential wells, cutting water pressure for existing use such as watering cattle or irrigating fields. The produced water that comes up with the valuable oil and gas is often laced with chemicals, several times saltier than the ocean, and radioactive.
Below are stories about people living with impacts on their water from oil and gas development.