Desalination Documents

The links below provide access to our desalination-related publications.

Legislative Hearings

2022

House Natural Resources Committee

TWDB provided testimony at a hearing conducted by the committee to study the feasibility of desalination as a new and/or alternative water source for the state of Texas. The hearing was held in Austin on October 18, 2022, and focused on desalination.

2016

House Natural Resources Committee

TWDB provided testimony at a hearing conducted by the committee to examine the progress of seawater desalination near the Texas coast and the viability of public-private partnerships to fund these type of projects (Interim Charge 4). The hearing was held in Brownsville on April 26, 2016, and focused on water quality (Interim Charge 9) and desalination ( Interim Charges 4 and 5).

2014

Joint Interim Committee to Study Desalination

TWDB provided testimony at the three hearings conducted by the committee to examine the status of desalination in Texas. The first hearing was held in Austin on June 16, 2014, and focused on general desalination. The second hearing was in Corpus Christi on June 23, 2014, and focused on ocean and saltwater desalination. The third hearing was in Wichita Falls on June 30, 2014, and focused on brackish groundwater desalination.

 

Legislative Reports

2022

The Future of Desalination in Texas: 2022 Biennial Report on Seawater and Groundwater Desalination

This is the tenth biennial progress report required by HB 1370 (2003) and HB 30 (2015) on the development of seawater and brackish groundwater desalination in Texas.

2020

The Future of Desalination in Texas: 2020 Biennial Report on Seawater and Groundwater Desalination

This is the ninth biennial progress report required by HB 1370 (2003) and HB 30 (2015) on the development of seawater and brackish groundwater desalination in Texas.

2018

The Future of Desalination in Texas: 2018 Biennial Report on Seawater and Groundwater Desalination

This is the eighth biennial progress report required by HB 1370 (2003) and HB 30 (2015) on the development of seawater and brackish groundwater desalination in Texas.

2016

The Future of Desalination in Texas: 2016 Biennial Report on Seawater and Groundwater Desalination

This is the seventh biennial progress report required by HB 1370 (2003) and HB 30 (2015) on the development of seawater and brackish groundwater desalination in Texas.

2014

The Future of Desalination in Texas: 2014 Biennial Report on Seawater Desalination

This is the sixth biennial progress report required by HB 1370 (2003) on the development of seawater desalination in Texas.

2012

The Future of Desalination in Texas: 2012 Biennial Report on Seawater Desalination

This is the fifth biennial progress report required by HB 1370 (2003) on the development of seawater desalination in Texas.

2010

The Future of Desalination in Texas: 2010 Biennial Report on Seawater Desalination

This is the fourth biennial progress report required by HB 1370 (2003) on the development of seawater desalination in Texas.

2008

The Future of Desalination in Texas: Biennial Report on Seawater Desalination

This is the third biennial progress report required by HB 1370 (2003) on the development of seawater desalination in Texas.

2006

The Future of Desalination in Texas: Biennial Report on Seawater Desalination

This is the second biennial progress report required by HB 1370 (2003) on the development of seawater desalination in Texas.

2004

The Future of Desalination in Texas:

Volume I is the first biennial progress report required by HB 1370 (2003) on the development of seawater desalination in Texas. Volume II is a collection of expert opinion, lessons learned, and resources available on seawater desalination.

2002

Large-scale demonstration seawater desalination in Texas , Report to the Office of Governor Rick Perry.

The TWDB report presents the results of a process to identify and screen potential seawater desalination demonstration projects. It also contains financial and technical recommendations to help implement seawater desalination projects in Texas.

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Project Reports

Brackish Desalination: Table showing completed desalination-related projects.

Date Completed Report Title Contract No. Contractor
08/2014 Permitting Guidance Manual to Dispose Desalination Concentrate into a Class II Injection Well 1004831106 CDM Smith
01/2014 1148321310 Carollo Engineers Inc.
08/2013 0604830579 San Antonio River Authority
06/2013 Fiberglass Casing Use in Texas Public Supply Wells 1104831108 North Alamo Water Supply
04/2013 Demonstration of a High Recovery and Energy Efficient Reverse Osmosis System fro Small-Scale Brackish Water Desalination 1004831107 Texas Tech University
04/2012 Upflow Calcite Contactor Study 1004831105 Carollo Engineers Inc.
11/2011 Assessment of Osmotic Mechanisms Pairing Desalination Concentrate and Wastewater Treatment 0804830852 CH2M Hill
11/2011 0704830769 El Paso Water Utilities
09/2011 Energy Optimization of Brackish Groundwater Reverse Osmosis Desalination 0804830845 Affordable Desalination Collaboration
10/2010 San Antonio Water System Brackish Groundwater Desalination Facility Enhanced Recovery Alternatives Evaluation and Pilot Test Report 0704830718 San Antonio Water System
08/2010 Improving Recovery: A Concentrate Management Strategy for Inland Desalination 0704830717 University of Texas at Austin
Revised 01/2009 Initial 03/2007 Self-Sealing Evaporation Ponds for Desalination Facilities in Texas 2005-483-027 Bureau of Economic Geology
07/2008 Guidance Manual for Brackish Groundwater Desalination in Texas 0604830581 North Cameron Regional Water Supply Corporation
05/2008 0604830580 City of San Angelo/UCRA
10/2005 A Desalination Database for Texas
2004-483-021 Bureau of Economic Geology
01/2006 San Angelo Groundwater Evaluation Phase I Report
2004-483-525 City of San Angelo/UCRA
02/2003 Brackish Groundwater Manual for Texas Regional Water Planning Groups 2001-483-395 LBG-Guyton Associates
07/2000 Identifying and Assessing Groundwater in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Using Airborne Electromagnetic Induction 99-483-310 Bureau of Economic Geology
01/2000 Demonstration Testing of Zenogem and Reverse Osmosis for Indirect Potable Reuse, City of McCallen 99-483-276 City of McCallen
11/1998 Interim Report on Edwards Aquifer Saline Zone Monitoring Program 96-483-184 Southwest Texas State University
11/1997 Development of Brackish Ground Water Resources in the Brownsville Area 95-483-141 City of Brownsville
12/1996 Evaluation of Economic and Reliable Methods of Brine Management, Stonewall County, Texas 95-483-142 Stonewall County
02/1994 Utilization of Geopressured/Geothermal Resources (GP/GT) for Additional Water Supply in the Lower Rio Grande Valley 93-483-373 Kleber J. Denny, Inc.
1992 Borehole Geophysical Techniques for Determining the Water Quality and Reservoir Parameters of Fresh and Saline Water Aquifers in Texas 84-483-511 Collier Consulting, Inc.

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Seawater Desalination: Table showing completed desalination-related projects.

Date Completed Report Title Contract No. Contractor
09/2011 Texas Desal Project 0904830972 NRS Consulting Engineers, Inc.
08/2010 Feasibility and Pilot Study South Padre Island Seawater Desalination Project 0604830628 NRS Consulting Engineers, Inc.
02/2009 Lessons Learned from the Brownsville Seawater Pilot Study 0648320566 Reiss Engineering
10/2008 Texas Seawater Desalination Demonstration Project 0604830619 NRS Consulting Engineers, Inc.
08/2006 Desalination Brine Discharge Model
2005-001-059 University of Texas at Austin
11/2004 Large Scale Demonstration Desalination Feasibility Study - Corpus Christi, Texas
2004-483-508 City of Corpus Christi
11/2004 Lower Rio Grande Valley Brownsville Seawater Desalination Demonstration Project Feasibility Study
2004-483-515 City of Brownsville
11/2004 Freeport Desalination
2004-483-514 City of Freeport
11/2004 Guidance Manual for Permitting Requirements in Texas for Desalination Facilities
2003-483-509 R. W. Beck, Inc.
09/2000 Investigation of Joslin Steam Electric Station for Co-location of a Desalination Facility
99-483-297 Lavaca Regional Water Planning Group
08/2000 2000-483-328 Nueces River Authority
12/1997 Seawater Desalination Feasibility Study in the Laguna Madre Area
97-483-202 Laguna Madre Water District

Published Papers

2008

Water Desalination in Texas. Arroyo and Kalaswad, U.S. Water News, in press.

The article summarizes desalination efforts in Texas and Governor Rick Perry's seawater desalination initiative.

2006

Please Pass the Salt: Using Oil Fields for the Disposal of Concentrate from Desalination Plants. Mace, Nicot, Chowdhury, Dutton, and Kalaswad.

The TWDB study conducted for the Bureau of Reclamation investigates the feasibility of disposing desalination concentrates through deep well injection into depleted oil and gas fields that are present in many areas of Texas. The study concludes that deep well injection is technically feasible, but will require regulatory changes.

Status report on Brackish Groundwater and Desalination in the Gulf Coast Aquifer of Texas. Kalaswad and Arroyo, Gulf Coast Aquifer Conference, TWDB Report 365.

The paper provides a status report on the characteristics of brackish groundwater in the Gulf Coast aquifer of Texas and the desalination facilities (existing and planned) that use, or plan to use, this source.

2005

Water Desalination. Arroyo, Aquifers of the Edwards Plateau, TWDB Report 360.

The article discusses desalination as a water-supply option in Texas, the basics of water desalination technologies, and costs associated with developing desalination projects.

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White Papers

2012

Cost of Brackish Groundwater Desalination in Texas Jorge Arroyo and Saqib Shirazi.

This analysis paper provides sample water production costs of brackish groundwater and seawater desalination in Texas.

2011

Desalination: Where do we go from here? Jorge Arroyo.

The paper examine the current state of water desalination in Texas, provides a brief assessment of the needs and opportunities for desalination, and discusses practical approaches to continuing advancing desalination in Texas.

Desalination Database Updates for Texas. Saqib Shirazi and Jorge Arroyo.

The paper provides information on updates to the 2005 database of brackish water desalination plants in Texas.

Presentations (MS PowerPoint in PDF Format)

2023

Desalination Technology for Coastal Resilience – Perspectives from the Texas Coastal Bend Region for a Path Towards Implementation, January 2023. Erika Mancha

2021

Desalination in the 2022 State Water Plan, Texas Desal Association, Austin, TX, September 2021. Erika Mancha

Desalination in the 2022 State Water Plan, Project Texas Gulf Coast Showplace Concept Workshop, September 2021. Erika Mancha

Water Desalination in Texas, Western States Water Council Virtual Spring Meeting, March 2021. James Golab, Ph.D.

2020

Salinity in Texas,WestFAST Webinar, Austin, TX, December 2020. Erika Mancha

Desalination, Texas Tech University Webinar, October 9, 2020. Erika Mancha

2018

Desalination and Agricultural Conservation programs, Texas Cattle Feeders Association , Austin, TX, November 2018. Erika Mancha

Concentrate disposal methods in Texas, Texas Desal Conference, Austin, TX, September 13, 2018. Erika Mancha

2015

Seawater Desalination in Texas: Past, Present, and Future, IDA World Congress, San Diego, California, September 2015. Erika Mancha

2011

Innovative Water Technologies-Subsurface Impacts, Underground Injection Conference, Austin, TX, January 2011. Jorge A. Arroyo, P.E., 1.05 MB.

2010

Updates on the desalination database for Texas, South Central Membrane Association Annual Meeting, South Padre Island, Texas, September 2010. Dr. Saqib Shirazi, P.E. 774 KB.

A status update on the database of brackish water desalination plants in Texas.

2007

Texas water desalination initiatives, Coastal Plains Groundwater Conservation District, December 2007. Jorge Arroyo, P.E. 1.69 MB.

An overview of and status update on desalination studies being undertaken by the TWDB.

2005

Briefing on TWDB desalination activities, South Central Desalting Association, July 2005. Jorge Arroyo, P.E. 1.25 MB.

An overview of the basics of desalination, TWDB's role in desalination for the State, and a status report on desalination studies being undertaken by the TWDB.

TWDB desalination workplan FY 2006-2007 Biennium, Texas Water Development Board Work Session, July 18, 2005. Jorge Arroyo, P.E. 256 KB.

Work plan presented to the TWDB Board members outlining the activities planned for fiscal years 2006 and 2007. Includes some background information on brackish and seawater desalination technology.

Creating new water: Exploring the options. E.G. Rod Pittman, Chairman, Texas Water Development Board. 1 MB

A presentation by TWDB Chairman, Rod Pittman, on the importance of and need for desalination in Texas.

Valley water summit: public/private partnerships for financing water supply projects, February 2005. Jorge Arroyo, P.E. 107 KB

Presentation by TWDB staff on the opportunities for and challenges with Public/Private Partnerships in water and wastewater infrastructure development. Presentation is not specifically geared toward desalination projects.

2004

Desalination in Texas, 2004. Jorge Arroyo, P.E. 2.88 MB

General overview of desalination technology and TWDB's efforts in desalination in Texas. Includes an example of the Southmost Regional Water Authority's brackish desalination plant in Cameron County.

Desalination briefing, October 2004. Jorge Arroyo, P.E. 118 KB

Briefs of staff presentation to the TWDB Board members on the agency's desalination activities. Includes a timeline for the three seawater desalination feasibility studies, funding requests to the Legislature, and completion of the biennial legislative report.

Water supply seminar, February 2004. E.G. Rod Pittman, Chairman, Texas Water Development Board. 804 KB

A presentation by TWDB Chairman, Rod Pittman, at the Shell Center for Sustainability, Rice University, on TWDB's responsibilities for and role in developing additional sources of water using desalination technology.

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