Industry and public drinking-water suppliers are increasingly turning to brackish groundwater to supplement or replace the use of freshwater. Brackish groundwater is either directly used or treated.
Direct Use
Brackish groundwater is directly used for purposes such as cooling water for power generation, aquaculture, and for a variety of uses in the oil and gas industry such as drilling, enhancing recovery, and hydraulic fracturing.
Treated Use
For purposes requiring lower dissolved-solids content, especially drinking water, brackish water is treated through reverse osmosis or other desalination processes. In 2010, there were 649 active desalination plants in the United States with a capacity to treat 402 million gallons per day (Shea, 2010). Of the desalination plant capacity in the United States, 67 percent was for municipal purposes, 18 percent for industry, 9 percent for power, and the remaining 6 percent for other uses (Mickley, 2010). A total of 314 desalination facilities are used for municipal purposes, 49 percent of which were in Florida, 16 percent in California, 12 percent in Texas, and the remaining 23 percent dispersed among other states. More than 95 percent of the desalination facilities in the United States are inland (Mickley, 2010), and most facilities are designed to treat groundwater with dissolved-solids concentrations in the brackish range (Shea, 2010). Recent advances in technology have reduced the cost and energy requirements of desalination, making treatment of brackish groundwater a more viable option for drinking-water supplies (National Research Council, 2008).
Amount of Saline* Groundwater Being Used
The National Water-Use Science Project, part of the National Water Census, has published information about saline water use since 1985. The reports include estimates of water withdrawals by State, source of water, and category of use. *Saline water for purposes of that program is defined as water with a dissolved-solids concentration greater than 1,000 milligrams per liter and includes the brackish concentration range.
Below are other science projects associated with the National Brackish Groundwater Assessment.
Brackish Groundwater Assessment
About the USGS National Brackish Groundwater Assessment
National Brackish Groundwater Assessment: Sources of Dissolved Solids in Brackish Groundwater
National Brackish Groundwater Assessment: How is Brackish Groundwater Being Used?
National Brackish Groundwater Assessment: Pilot Saline Studies
National Brackish Groundwater Assessment: Previous Work
- Overview
Industry and public drinking-water suppliers are increasingly turning to brackish groundwater to supplement or replace the use of freshwater. Brackish groundwater is either directly used or treated.
Direct Use
Brackish groundwater is directly used for purposes such as cooling water for power generation, aquaculture, and for a variety of uses in the oil and gas industry such as drilling, enhancing recovery, and hydraulic fracturing.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Thermoelectric power plant, Euharlee, Georgia.(Credit: Alan Cressler, USGS)
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.A hydraulic fracturing operation is underway at this drilling pad in the Marcellus Shale gas play of southwestern Pennsylvania. (Credit: Doug Duncan, USGS) Treated Use
For purposes requiring lower dissolved-solids content, especially drinking water, brackish water is treated through reverse osmosis or other desalination processes. In 2010, there were 649 active desalination plants in the United States with a capacity to treat 402 million gallons per day (Shea, 2010). Of the desalination plant capacity in the United States, 67 percent was for municipal purposes, 18 percent for industry, 9 percent for power, and the remaining 6 percent for other uses (Mickley, 2010). A total of 314 desalination facilities are used for municipal purposes, 49 percent of which were in Florida, 16 percent in California, 12 percent in Texas, and the remaining 23 percent dispersed among other states. More than 95 percent of the desalination facilities in the United States are inland (Mickley, 2010), and most facilities are designed to treat groundwater with dissolved-solids concentrations in the brackish range (Shea, 2010). Recent advances in technology have reduced the cost and energy requirements of desalination, making treatment of brackish groundwater a more viable option for drinking-water supplies (National Research Council, 2008).
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Locations and sources of desalination water at municipal desalination facilities in the United States in 2010. Amount of Saline* Groundwater Being Used
The National Water-Use Science Project, part of the National Water Census, has published information about saline water use since 1985. The reports include estimates of water withdrawals by State, source of water, and category of use. *Saline water for purposes of that program is defined as water with a dissolved-solids concentration greater than 1,000 milligrams per liter and includes the brackish concentration range.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Saline groundwater use, by county, in the United States and selected U.S. territories in 2010.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Saline groundwater use by water use category, 1985 through 2010. - Science
Below are other science projects associated with the National Brackish Groundwater Assessment.
Brackish Groundwater Assessment
All water naturally contains dissolved solids that, if present in sufficient concentration, can make a water resource "brackish", or distastefully salty. The amount of fresh or potable groundwater in storage has declined for many areas in the U.S., leading to concerns about the future availability of water. Using brackish groundwater could supplement or, in some places, replace the use of...About the USGS National Brackish Groundwater Assessment
The objectives of the National Brackish Groundwater Assessment were to identify and characterize aquifers that contain brackish groundwater in the United States. For purposes of this study, brackish groundwater is defined as having dissolved solids at concentrations between 1,000 and 10,000 milligrams per liter.National Brackish Groundwater Assessment: Sources of Dissolved Solids in Brackish Groundwater
A variety of conditions and mechanisms can cause groundwater to become brackish. An understanding of the sources of dissolved solids that contribute to the formation of brackish groundwater can help determine where brackish aquifers are likely to exist and can provide clues about other characteristics, such as the chemical composition, of brackish aquifers.National Brackish Groundwater Assessment: How is Brackish Groundwater Being Used?
Industry and public drinking-water suppliers are increasingly turning to brackish groundwater to supplement or replace the use of freshwater. Brackish groundwater is either directly used or treated.National Brackish Groundwater Assessment: Pilot Saline Studies
Three pilot studies were conducted (2010-2012) to assess saline groundwater resources at regional scales. The goals of the pilot studies were to determine the availability of data for assessing the distribution and character of saline groundwater and test and develop methodologies for assessing the resource.National Brackish Groundwater Assessment: Previous Work
Interest in the distribution and classification of brackish groundwater for use as a source of water supply has been longstanding. These studies provided valuable background for the National Brackish Groundwater Assessment. - Publications