Hydraulic fracturing operations depend on large volumes of water and generate complex, highly contaminated wastewater streams. Flowback and produced water often contain extremely high total dissolved solids, hydrocarbons, chemical additives, heavy metals, naturally occurring radioactive materials, and suspended solids. Managing these water streams is one of the largest operational, environmental, and cost challenges facing unconventional energy producers.

Aqua Fission was designed to address precisely these conditions, enabling water recovery from fracking-related wastewater while isolating contaminants in a controlled residual output without continuous wastewater discharge.

The water challenge in hydraulic fracturing

Fracturing operations require significant upfront water volumes and produce wastewater that becomes increasingly concentrated over time. Flowback and produced water commonly exhibit:

• Very high TDS, often far beyond the limits of reverse osmosis
• Elevated chlorides, bromides, and sulfates
• Dissolved hydrocarbons and organic compounds
• Residual fracking chemicals and surfactants
• Heavy metals and scaling minerals
• Naturally occurring radioactive materials such as radium and uranium

Disposal options such as deep-well injection, hauling, or evaporation ponds are expensive, increasingly regulated, and expose operators to environmental and seismic risk.

A different approach than filtration or disposal

Aqua Fission uses deep-vacuum, low-temperature thermodynamic distillation to separate water from contaminants rather than forcing contaminated water through membranes or chemical treatment systems.

In this process, clean water is recovered as vapor and condensed, while salts, hydrocarbons, metals, radionuclides, and other non-volatile contaminants remain in the residual concentrate. This allows operators to recover usable water from streams that are otherwise considered waste.

Because the system does not rely on membranes, resins, or filter media, it avoids fouling, scaling, and the generation of large volumes of secondary hazardous waste.

High-TDS flowback and produced water

Flowback and produced water often exceed the practical limits of conventional treatment technologies. Aqua Fission can process extremely high-TDS streams, recovering water suitable for reuse while concentrating salts and dissolved solids into a manageable residual output.

This supports reuse for subsequent fracturing stages, dust control, or other non-potable applications, reducing freshwater withdrawals and trucking requirements.

Handling hydrocarbons and chemical additives

Fracturing wastewater frequently contains residual hydrocarbons, polymers, biocides, and other chemical additives. Many of these compounds are non-volatile under distillation conditions and remain in the concentrate rather than transferring to the recovered water.

This allows Aqua Fission to simplify complex treatment trains and reduce reliance on multi-step chemical or biological processes that are difficult to operate consistently in the field.

Naturally occurring radioactive materials

Produced water can contain elevated levels of naturally occurring radioactive materials associated with subsurface formations. These radionuclides are typically present as non-volatile dissolved species or particulates and can be retained in the residual concentrate during distillation-based treatment.

Aqua Fission enables recovery of clean water while isolating radioactive residues for regulated handling, supporting safer water management practices at fracturing sites.

Reducing trucking, disposal, and seismic risk

By recovering water on site or near the well pad, Aqua Fission reduces the need for long-haul water transport and deep-well injection. This lowers operating costs, reduces traffic and emissions, and helps mitigate risks associated with wastewater disposal, including induced seismicity.

Modular deployment for field operations

Aqua Fission systems are modular and can be deployed as skid-mounted or containerized units suitable for pad-level, centralized, or regional water treatment hubs. Capacity can scale incrementally as drilling programs expand or contract.

Low operating temperatures and deep-vacuum efficiency reduce energy demand and allow flexible power options, including generators, grid power, waste heat integration, or renewable energy where available.

Supporting compliance and water stewardship

As regulatory scrutiny of water use and wastewater disposal increases, operators are under pressure to reduce freshwater withdrawals and minimize environmental impact. Aqua Fission supports responsible water stewardship by enabling reuse, reducing disposal volumes, and minimizing surface discharge and chemical waste.

Water recovery as a strategic advantage

For hydraulic fracturing operations, water is both a cost driver and a constraint on growth. Aqua Fission allows operators to turn wastewater into a reusable resource, improving operational resilience, lowering costs, and reducing environmental exposure.

ESG alignment and responsible water stewardship in hydraulic fracturing

Environmental, social, and governance considerations are increasingly central to unconventional energy operations. Water use, wastewater handling, and groundwater protection are among the most scrutinized aspects of hydraulic fracturing from an ESG perspective.

Aqua Fission supports environmental objectives by reducing freshwater withdrawals, minimizing wastewater disposal volumes, and eliminating surface discharge of contaminated water. By enabling on-site or near-site water recovery from flowback and produced water, the technology reduces reliance on deep-well injection, evaporation ponds, and long-distance hauling, lowering emissions, traffic impacts, and disposal-related risks.

From a social perspective, responsible water management helps protect surrounding communities and shared water resources. Reducing the risk of groundwater contamination from methane migration, chemical residues, and leachates supports public health, agricultural use, and long-term water security in regions where energy development and community water needs coexist.

From a governance standpoint, Aqua Fission provides operators with a transparent, controllable water treatment approach that aligns with tightening regulations and investor expectations. Zero-liquid-discharge operation, reduced chemical dependency, and controlled residual handling simplify compliance, improve reporting clarity, and demonstrate proactive risk management.

By turning wastewater into a recoverable resource and minimizing environmental externalities, Aqua Fission enables hydraulic fracturing operations to align operational performance with ESG commitments, strengthening license-to-operate and long-term project viability.