What is required is to make sure that the drilling fluids and frack wastewater do not come in contact with the fresh water aquifers when the wells are being drilled, completed, or produced.

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Peter Frost, executive director of the Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority, said Google is saving taxpayer money as the local government now does not have to treat as much wastewater.

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For all the attention given to technologies like horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, some of the greatest gains to be made in reducing the environmental risks of natural-gas production come from simple things like the proper pouring of cement well casings and the proper handling of chemicals and wastewater, so that they do not spill or seep into streams or water supplies.

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"If this technology works on a commercial scale the way we believe it will, the treatment of wastewater could be a huge energy producer, not a huge energy cost, " said Hong Liu, an associate professor in the OSU Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering.

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Without these things, we would not have clean, drinkable water, or the ability to convey wastewater away from our homes to treatment facilities, or systems to handle the vast amounts of garbage we produce, or anything to drive on to accommodate our four-wheel lifestyles.

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As a result, some wastewater associated with shale gas is transported to treatment plants that are not properly equipped, the agency adds.

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