Frackers in Texas turn to toilet water

Houston

TOP shale oil producer Pioneer Natural Resources Co has found an unusual way to both save water and cut costs for its wells: tapping the treated runoff from toilets, sinks and showers in West Texas.

Pioneer has signed an 11-year, US$117 million deal with the city of Odessa, Texas, that will guarantee it access to millions of gallons of treated municipal wastewater each day, for use in nearby oilfields. Deliveries of the so-called effluent are expected to start at the end of the year.