Not Enough Water For Farmers And Frackers

A new research report by MSCI Inc. says that in the coming years, there will be a clash between industry and agriculture over water resources.

As The Guardian recently put it, "Which would you rather have: lettuce and carrots for your salads, or affordable gasoline for your car? Affordable food prices or affordable electricity?"

"Both US assets and entire companies — including UNS Energy, Black Hills Corporation, MGE Energy and Sempra Energy — are at risk due to choices soon to be made over whether to use water for crop production or electricity generation," Energy Leader reported, citing MSCI.

Linda-Eling Lee, global head of Environmental, Sustainability & Governance research for MSCI, explained the challenges ahead.

“Right now in the United States there is a lot of attention to the problems that water shortages are causing for farmers and for residential users,” she told The Guardian. “But there’s less attention to the conflict looming between industry and agriculture.”

Experts say a water conflict in Kern County, California, foreshadows the kind of conflict that will become typical in the coming years.

Kern County "is home to the North Belridge and South Belridge oil fields, the country’s sixth largest oil areas. A lot of the production in the Belridge fields has come from fracking," The Guardian reported. "The region, near Bakersfield, also is home to half of the country’s carrot crop and 40% of its pistachio production ... These two industries are in direct competition for water."

The problem affects the entire U.S. "This is a nationwide issue. More than one-third of the US experienced severe to exceptional drought in the first week of September. This is unprecedented," Environmental Leader reported, citing the MSCI reported.

Water authorities in California are encouraging conservation by releasing statistics about regional water use.

"In an interview, State Water Resources Control Board scientist Max Gomberg offered one contrast: The city of Beverly Hills used 286 gallons per person per day in September. Meanwhile, the East Los Angeles district of the California Water Service Co. used just 48 gallons per day, the lowest in the Southland," The Los Angeles Times recently reported.

For more on agricultural and industrial water use, check out Water Online's Industrial Water Solution Center.