Water Allocation An Issue at Fracking Locations Across US And Globe

"Extracting natural gas for energy from shale rock deep underground requires lots of water, but much of the world's shale gas is in regions where water is already scarce, including part of California, according to a study issued Tuesday.

The amount of recoverable natural gas from shale formations would increase global reserves by nearly half, the report from the World Resources Institute found. That's a potentially enormous boost for the international economy and for reduction of greenhouse gases that cause climate change, as gas used for power generation burns more cleanly than coal.

But increased oil and gas development raises thorny questions about how to allocate water in areas where it's limited."
 
Neela Banerjee reports for the Tribune Washington Bureau September 4, 2014.