Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) of oil and gas wells in the United States has taken place for over 60 years,

but only recently has the technology and its growing industry been the focus of a national discourse on its safety, increased regulation by states, and litigation. The process of fracking has direct connections to water law and policy, with implications for both water quantity and water quality, and for both surface water and groundwater. Water used in fracking can be analyzed from its acquisition, through its use in fracking, to its ultimate treatment and disposal.