It may not seem it at first glance but energy and water are intricately linked. The connection between energy and water stretches far beyond just the use of energy to heat water for us in our homes and buildings. Our water and energy systems are truly interdependent as producing energy uses water, and providing freshwater uses energy. Water is used in every step of generating electricity and producing energy. Energy is needed to extract, transport and deliver water used for human consumption as well as to treat wastewaters so it can safely be returned to the environment. And both these processes are challenged with accelerating limits and problems.

For a clearer understanding let's take a closer look at the connections.

How Water is used for Energy
  • Electricity Generation - Almost half of the water withdrawn in the U.S. is used to keep power plants cool enough to function safely and efficiently.
  • Oil and Gas - Water is used for hydraulic fracturing, enhanced oil recovery, and other fossil fuel production processes.
  • Renewables - Water is used for hydropower, concentrated solar power for geothermal energy and product bioenergy.
How Energy is used for Water
  • Pumping - Energy is used to pump water from aquifers for agriculture and to transport treatment facilities and to consumers.
  • Water Treatment - Energy is used to desalinate water and treat wastewater before it is returned to the environment.
  • Heating & Cooling - Energy and water combine to keep buildings and equipment at safe and comfortable temperatures.
  • Delivery - Energy is used to distribute and heat water for cooking, showering, laundry, cleaning and drinking.

Weather and environment have dramatic effects on the relationship between energy and water. For instance, high temperatures create a demand on our electrical systems and make cooling process at plants less efficient. Droughts mean less water for hydropower, bioenergy production, power plant cooling and oil and gas extraction. Severe weather can threaten the infrastructure of our crucial water and energy systems.

Understanding the link between energy and water makes it easy to comprehend that difficulties for energy can create problems for water and vice versa. For areas where consuming energy necessitates a large amount of the available water or where water is scarce or strained because of contending demands such as farming or climate change the connection between energy and water can be dangerous when resources are stressed.

Trends such as climate change, population growth, migration patterns and technological advances will continue to influence energy and water needs. Technologies that improve water and energy efficiencies will be essential to address our limited energy and water resource. Consumers, businesses, utilities and the community at larger all benefits from water and energy conservation. If we use less water in our cleaning it means moving and treating less water which in turn diminishes the burden on our water supplies and drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.visit the Xeros website here.

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