Advantages and Disadvantages of Fracking
There are usually two sides to every story and when it comes to the issue of fracking, it is not uncommon to hear both. There are known and potential advantages and disadvantages and even serious hazards which is the reason why it has brought about so much controversy in this country lately. Before you can form your own opinion, it is important to understand just what fracking is, and the two very different sides of the controversy. Once you learn what the process entails, you may feel better with a home drinking water system improving the quality of your tap water – even if it’s not fracking that worries you about your water.
What is fracking? Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a technique designed to recover gas and oil from shale rock. During fracking, they drill down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well. The process is carried out vertically or, more commonly, by drilling horizontally to the rock layer. The process can create new pathways to release gas or can be used to extend existing channels.
Those who are in favor of fracking argue that fracking allows drilling firms to access difficult-to-reach resources of oil and gas. In some countries, it has significantly boosted domestic oil production and driven down gas prices. It is estimated to have offered gas security to the United States and Canada for about 100 years, and has presented an opportunity to generate electricity at half the CO2 emissions of coal. On the other hand, fracking uses huge amounts of water that must be transported to the fracking site, at significant environmental cost. The second is the worry that potentially carcinogenic chemicals used may escape and contaminate groundwater around the fracking site. The industry suggests pollution incidents are the results of bad practice, rather than an inherently risky technique. There are also worries that the fracking process can cause small earth tremors.
Could it impact water? Both sides argue that it could or will not impact our drinking water. If you are concerned about contamination from fracking, or any other local industry, you should invest in a reverse osmosis drinking water system for your home. With our water purifiers, the unknown dangers of fracking effects and the contamination of other chemicals or substances are reduced and you are left with high-quality, healthy drinking water. The oil and gas industry may be utilizing new technology to seek alternative national gas extraction methods, but new drinking water technology can also give consumers protection and an advantage to quality tap water without the worry of the unknown effects of fracking or other means of drinking water contamination.
