It became mandatory for CAPP members to report water reuse in Western Canada horizontal, multi-stage hydraulic fracturing operations in 2011. Some 5 percent of water was reused in these projects, the report says. CAPP says that the industry recognizes that this level of water use “must be improved.”

A report released in August by Stony Brook University found that the disposal of contaminated wastewater from hydraulic fracturing wells presents risks from salts and radioactive materials that are “several orders of magnitude larger” than for other potential water pollution events.

The total well count (active plus inactive wells) in Western Canada increased 14 per cent to 36,843 wells last year. Of the 32,684 abandoned conventional wells, 50 percent are under active reclamation, 23 per cent are being assessed and 27 per cent are temporarily deferred. Total active footprint for oil sands mining operations was up seven per cent in 2011 to 76,070 hectares, including 10 per cent in some stage of the reclamation process, the report says.