Wednesday,
April 25, 2007
UPDATE: Sen. Salazar’s Bill
to Recover and Reuse “Produced Water” Has Hearing
Source: US Senator Ken Salazar
Last week, Senator Salazar introduced S. 1116, the “More Water, More Energy, Less Waste Act of 2007,” a bipartisan bill that would evaluate the feasibility of recovering and cleaning “produced water,” groundwater contaminated when it is brought to the surface during oil and gas drilling or coal bed methane extraction, for use in irrigation and other purposes, all while protecting and conserving the water quality and natural surroundings. It would also create a grant program to test technology that takes “produced water” and recovering and cleaning it for use in irrigation and other purposes. The grants would help fund construction of test sites for this technology in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico, plus one additional site in Arizona, Nevada or California.
“Every day, two million gallons of ‘produced water’ are wasted in this Nation, unfit for any use,” said Senator Salazar. “Recovering that water could help lift a huge burden off the backs of farmers, ranchers, communities and recreation users. We owe it to them and to future generations to test the feasibility of this technology.”
During the hearing, Senator Salazar and others heard testimony from David R. Stewart, a Colorado Registered Professional Engineer and expert in the design and operation of water reuse and reclamation facilities and advanced treatment technologies regarding S.1116.
In his prepared testimony on Senator Salazar’s produced water bill, Mr. Stewart observed, “There is a real need for production water research. Presently, there is a lack of information on the amount of effort required to produce this water.” Mr. Stewart also touched on benefits of produced water reclamation, including adding a new water resource to the shrinking number available in the West, as well as lower costs for energy consumers and producers through reduced environmental compliance costs and a significantly reduced need for costly “disposal wells” for produced water.
Having received a hearing, the “More Water, More Energy, Less Waste Act of 2007” now moves on to the next step: a review and approval by the full Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. This step, known as a “mark-up,” has not yet been scheduled.
The full legislative text of S. 1116, the “More Water, More Energy, Less Waste Act of 2007,” can be viewed by clicking here.
Contact:
Cody Wertz – Comm. Director 303-455-5999