Brackish Groundwater Desalination and ASR Study

Created in 1987 by the Texas Legislature, the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) oversees the prudent conservation, recharge, and enhancement of groundwater resources within three aquifers in Central Texas: The Barton Springs Segment of the Edwards, the Saline (i.e., Brackish) Edwards, and the Trinity.

During extreme drought conditions, the BSEACD reduces groundwater use from the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer to prevent water wells from drying up, protect endangered species and their habitats, and promote community recreation by maintaining the flow quantity and quality of Barton Springs. While reduced groundwater use delivers these important benefits, the BSEACD also seeks to investigate new and reliable water supply sources that could augment the reliance on groundwater and proactively prepare for increased future demand without harming the environment or local communities.

To this end, the BSEACD contracted Carollo Engineers to evaluate the potential of desalinating brackish or saline groundwater from the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers with the potential to use renewable energy and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) to maximize the new water supply source.

Carollo Engineers’ study probed the feasibility of constructing a desalination facility whose sizeable energy requirement may be powered by methane gas that would otherwise be flared at a local landfill, thus allowing the BSEACD to practice effective resource recovery. The study also explored options for treatment and brine disposal in conjunction with ASR to store desalinated water in specific aquifer formations and enhance existing supplies.

Although additional evaluation is required to implement this project to a successful outcome, the BSEACD and their local partners now have a potentially permittable, sustainable, and cost-feasible water supply alternative that will bring additional resiliency and reliability to their current resources.