A new frontier in Texas: managing and regulating brackish groundwater

Abstract

The challenge of providing access to clean water is visible in Texas, where chronic drought coincides with increasing water demand. The 2012 Texas State Water Plan reports a 2,700 million cubic metres (MCM) gap between freshwater supply and demand in 2010, a number predicted to grow to 3,100 MCM by 2060. Due to the difficulty of reducing water demand, policy makers and water providers are evaluating new sources, including brackish groundwater for desalination or direct use. It is estimated that Texas aquifers contain more than 3,300,000 MCM of brackish groundwater, which, if converted to fresh water, could meet current consumption needs for 150 years, albeit at a greater cost. Using Texas as a case study, this article addresses policies to better manage the supply of brackish groundwater. We review the geological, technical, and legal contexts of groundwater in Texas and situate brackish groundwater within those constructs. We consider efforts by other states to regulate brackish groundwater and identify management goals, including facilitating access to and incentivizing use of brackish groundwater and protecting freshwater aquifers from potential saline intrusion related to brackish groundwater production. Various brackish groundwater policies are examined, and policy recommendations regarding use of the resource are offered.

Historical and Future Needs for Geospatial Iodide Occurrence in Surface and Groundwaters of the United States of America

“…Many samples in California and Texas were excluded using the stated cutoff, having high Cl – from aquifer systems and production wells, respectively. , The waters that have the potential for serving as drinking water sources (i.e., Cl – < 250 mg/L) have I – primarily within 1–10 μg/L, which is consistent with other studies. Of recent interest is brackish groundwater (BGW), which a few works present as an emerging unconventional water resource for arid and semiarid regions where these waters can be used for secondary uses of irrigation and in power plants. , Stanton et al in conjunction with the USGS have made efforts toward evaluating BGW characteristics (TDS = 1000–10,000 mg/L) and have designated a subset of BGW that has a relatively higher concentration of sodium (Na + ) and Cl – . Apart from considering I – in locations that have Cl – < 250 ppm, we iterate the importance of considering I − in BGW and source waters with relatively high I − concentrations because these resources may end up in drinking water supplies indirectly.…”

Competition for shrinking window of low salinity groundwater

“…Recent work in the California Central Valley shows that oil and gas activities, such as fluid injection, are taking place in or in close proximity to deep freshwater zones [7]. Other studies suggest that the Central Valley is not unique [8]. Current regulations to protect groundwater from deep subsurface development vary widely and may not be sufficient to protect fresh and shallow groundwater resources [9].…”

Advanced Materials, Technologies, and Complex Systems Analyses: Emerging Opportunities to Enhance Urban Water Security

“…Furthermore, the price of water might provide incentives or disincentives for such change. There is broad consensus that freshwater is generally undervalued, , and many have proposed a price differential for water based on its source, quality, and/or use. , Thus, water from distributed reuse facilities may be discounted or incentivized to encourage freshwater reuse and conservation. Ultimately, these measures may avoid costs associated with new water supply projects.…”