A revolutionary solution for cleaning saltwater disposals for cleaner water

As we watch the brilliantly orchestrated crime drama, 'Killers of the Flower Moon', we are once again forced to think about the oil reserves in our country and the impact the industry has on the environment as a whole. The most concerning dilemma many environmental specialists continue to express concern about is the saltwater disposal wells (SWDs) in regions across the US, including Texas, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Colorado, Appalachia, and others. This saltwater is the leftovers from produced water, a byproduct of oil and gas production, that is pumped underground as a way to dispose of it. Because this water is stored permanently away from the natural environment, the SWDs are like a cemetery for this water, never to be used again. The problem with saltwater disposal wells is that they can lead to a great catastrophe. An earthquake of appropriate size can quickly disturb the saltwater in these reserves, causing it to spread to drinking water and contaminate it.

Though the catastrophic implications of these many saltwater disposal wells in the US and around the globe seem bleak, there is a measure of good news. Like Ernest Burkhart who was tasked with investigating the criminal behind the murderers, Lia set off to investigate the solution to this dilemma. The solution culminated in a patent she designed to extract iodine from the reserves found in these saltwater disposal wells.

This patent is a revolutionary solution that will help these reserves with water that was once deemed useless into clean water, available for use in drinking purposes and agricultural needs. Equally important, this patent will stop underground pumping.

Lia Neumann holds ownership of a saltwater disposal well in Oklahoma and is beginning the process of extracting iodine for the reserves in it. With time, she hopes to expand her work to more SWDs, eventually eliminating the need for ground pumping and the use of these wells. Less saltwater disposal wells will help turn around the health of our planet in many ways. Not only will it help preserve the livelihoods and healthy living environment for native Americans living in the Oklahoma region and other parts of North America, but it will also improve the environment nationally and globally.

— Namrata Thakkar is a freelance contributor.