How much water does hydraulic fracturing use

Hydraulic fracturing in Australia uses an average of 20 to 30 megalitres (ML) of water per fracked horizontal well. With an Olympic-sized swimming pool generally holding 2.5 ML of water, this equates to approximately eight to 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water used during the life of the fracked horizontal well. In terms of measuring water use for hydraulic fracturing against other industrial uses, a US study by Duke University found that the water used in fracking made up less than 1% of total industrial water use nationwide in the United States during 2005 to 2014.

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