Arid California may have unexpected underground water resource
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.029923
Washington Post : Some relief may be in sight for drought-ridden California: Researchers at Stanford University say there could be as much as 2700 billion tons of freshwater lying in aquifers some 3000 meters below the ground. The scientists base their finding on data from nearly 35 000 oil and gas wells. Although the water could be somewhat salty, they say, desalinating it would probably be cheaper than desalinating the much saltier seawater a new San Diego plant now draws from the Pacific Ocean. The study may prove controversial, however, because the exact quantity, quality, and depth of the water are not known, nor whether the water will prove economical to pump. In addition, some of the water may have been contaminated by hydraulic fracturing activities and wastewater disposal by the oil and gas industry.
