Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States (2008) / Chapter Skim
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To help illuminate these issues, the Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB) of the National Research Council held a colloquium on "Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States" in Washington, D.C., on July 12, 2007, which was attended by more than 130 people from 1 gallon is equal to 3.79 liters.
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KEY ISSUES REGARDING WATER RESOURCES Water is an increasingly precious resource used for many purposes including drinking and other municipal uses, hydropower, cooling thermo electric plants, manufacturing, recreation, habitat for fish and wildlife, and agriculture. The ways in which a shift to growing more energy crops will affect the availability and quality of water is a complex issue that is difficult to monitor and will vary greatly by region.
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There are many uncertainties in estimating consumptive water use of the biofuel feedstocks of the future. Water data are less available for some of the proposed cellulosic feedstocks -- for example, native grasses on marginal lands -- than for widespread and common crops such as corn, soybeans, sorghum, and others.
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However, if biofuel production increases overall agricultural production, especially on marginal lands that are more prone to soil erosion, erosion problems could increase. An exception would be native grasses such as switchgrass, which can reduce erosion on marginal lands.
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However, consumptive use of water is declining as ethanol producers increasingly incorporate water recycling and develop new methods of converting feedstocks to fuels that increase energy yields while reducing water use. Chapter 5 discusses the various waste streams from ethanol plants, which are controlled through various state discharge permitting systems.
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From page 6... ...
Growing biofuel crops in areas requiring addi tional irrigation water from already depleted aquifers is a major concern. The growth of biofuels in the United States has probably already affected water quality because of the large amount of N and P required to produce corn.
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From page 7... ...
To avoid deleterious effects, future expansions of biofuels may need to look to perennial crops, like switchgrass, poplars/willows, or prairie polyculture, which will hold the soil and nutrients in place. To move toward a goal of reducing water impacts of biofuels, a policy bridge will likely be needed to encourage development of new technologies that support cellulosic fuel production and develop both traditional and cellulosic feedstocks that require less water and fertilizer and are optimized for fuel production.
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