Water: Ethanol’s Achilles Heel

As most of us already know, ethanol is an extremely water-intensive fuel source, and an article titled Water: Ethanol’s Achilles Heel further illustrates the large water demands of ethanol fuel. While it has been pointed out that about 2,500 gallons of water are required to grow enough corn for a single gallon of ethanol, just the process of producing and refining ethanol—whether it’s from woodchips, switch grass or algae—also requires a lot of water.

According to Robert Glennon, the Morris K. Udall Professor of Law and Public Policy at the University of Arizona, even the most efficient ethanol plants require 4 gallons of water for every one gallon of ethanol produced.

In Minnesota, the relatively water-rich land of 10,000 lakes, freshwater demands from just one moderately sized ethanol plant are already having adverse effects on the area’s hydrology. In 2006 an ethanol plant consuming nearly 400 gallons of water per minute was opened and shortly after, the wells of households 3 miles away were running dry, which prompted authorities to begin diverting water from the Minnesota River to quench the ethanol plant’s thirst.

With much of the country already facing debilitating water shortages, the last thing we need is a fuel source that will put more strain on our water supplies and increase pressure to divert our rivers.

While water seems to be the Achilles heel of ethanol, ethanol could prove to be the Achilles heel of the new administration. President-elect Obama has promised large investments in green energy and infrastructure projects which have the potential to provide a number of benefits to the national watershed community.

Although our support for green projects will be crucial to their success, we must be diligent in making sure that valuable funds aren’t wasted on green-washed industries. Both Obama and the recently appointed Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack have roots in the Corn Belt and have been strong supporters of ethanol. As Dr. Glennon writes, “If I could offer our soon-to-be Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack one piece of advise, it would be this: We’re already running low on water. Don’t make matters worse.”

To read the full article, click here.