ABSTRACT
It is quite apparent that in the United States produced wastewater volume generation and management are not well characterized or documented and are rarely even thought about. Produced wastewater is the largest volume byproduct or wastestream associated with oil and gas exploration and production. Dilution is never the solution to pollution in small water bodies. In many parts of the world, discharge to surface water bodies represents one of the principal options for disposing of produced water from oil and gas exploration and production operations. The offshore subcategory governs produced water discharges from as many as 4000 US platforms. Most offshore produced water is discharged to the ocean. Americans came face to face with the grim condition of the nation's waterways when the industrial-waste-laden Cuyahoga River caught on fire. The Clean Water Act focuses on improving water quality by maintaining and restoring the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters.
