Reliable Water Resources for Resilient Next-Generation Geothermal Energy
This white paper focuses on expanding reclaimed wastewater for geothermal water management.
Challenges include rapid growth to 5 GW, rising demand for water in water-scarce regions. High volumes for drilling, stimulation, cooling, and reclaimed water infrastructure limits. High TDS, salts, metals, and H2S; cost and risk with super-hot-rock; leak risks to health and other sectors.
Near-term opportunities include using reclaimed as primary water resources for stimulation, cooling, circulation, and re-injection; interconnected purple pipes and storage in geothermal regions; fit-for-purpose treatment; geo-spatial analysis; partnerships.
Success measures include county reclaimed supply; freshwater withdrawal/consumption; conveyance distance.
Citation Formats
TY - DATA
AB - This white paper focuses on expanding reclaimed wastewater for geothermal water management.
Challenges include rapid growth to 5 GW, rising demand for water in water-scarce regions. High volumes for drilling, stimulation, cooling, and reclaimed water infrastructure limits. High TDS, salts, metals, and H2S; cost and risk with super-hot-rock; leak risks to health and other sectors.
Near-term opportunities include using reclaimed as primary water resources for stimulation, cooling, circulation, and re-injection; interconnected purple pipes and storage in geothermal regions; fit-for-purpose treatment; geo-spatial analysis; partnerships.
Success measures include county reclaimed supply; freshwater withdrawal/consumption; conveyance distance.
AU - Wu, May
DB - Energy-Water Resilience
DP - Open EI | National Laboratory of the Rockies
DO -
KW - Geothermal energy production
KW - water demand
KW - reclaimed municipal wastewater supply
KW - infrastructure assessment
KW - stakeholder collaboration
KW - reclaimed wastewater
KW - geothermal
KW - geothermal water management
LA - English
DA - 2026/01/16
PY - 2026
PB - ANL
T1 - Reliable Water Resources for Resilient Next-Generation Geothermal Energy
UR - https://ewr.openei.org/submissions/34
ER -
Wu, May. Reliable Water Resources for Resilient Next-Generation Geothermal Energy . ANL, 16 January, 2026, Energy-Water Resilience. https://ewr.openei.org/submissions/34.
Wu, M. (2026). Reliable Water Resources for Resilient Next-Generation Geothermal Energy . [Data set]. Energy-Water Resilience. ANL. https://ewr.openei.org/submissions/34
Wu, May. Reliable Water Resources for Resilient Next-Generation Geothermal Energy . ANL, January, 16, 2026. Distributed by Energy-Water Resilience. https://ewr.openei.org/submissions/34
@misc{EWR_Dataset_34,
title = {Reliable Water Resources for Resilient Next-Generation Geothermal Energy },
author = {Wu, May},
abstractNote = {This white paper focuses on expanding reclaimed wastewater for geothermal water management.
Challenges include rapid growth to 5 GW, rising demand for water in water-scarce regions. High volumes for drilling, stimulation, cooling, and reclaimed water infrastructure limits. High TDS, salts, metals, and H2S; cost and risk with super-hot-rock; leak risks to health and other sectors.
Near-term opportunities include using reclaimed as primary water resources for stimulation, cooling, circulation, and re-injection; interconnected purple pipes and storage in geothermal regions; fit-for-purpose treatment; geo-spatial analysis; partnerships.
Success measures include county reclaimed supply; freshwater withdrawal/consumption; conveyance distance.
},
url = {https://ewr.openei.org/submissions/34},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Energy-Water Resilience, ANL, https://ewr.openei.org/submissions/34},
note = {Accessed: 2026-06-17}
}
Details
Data from Jan 16, 2026
Last updated Jan 16, 2026
Submitted Jan 16, 2026
Contact
May Wu
Authors
Keywords
Geothermal energy production, water demand, reclaimed municipal wastewater supply, infrastructure assessment, stakeholder collaboration, reclaimed wastewater, geothermal, geothermal water managementDOE Project Details
Project Name White Papers on Ideas to Advance Energy-Water Resilience
Project Lead
Project Number WP-034