A plain-language guide to how desalination works and why it matters.
Desalination is the process of removing salt and other dissolved minerals from water, making it safe for drinking, agriculture, or industrial use. Texas has vast brackish groundwater reserves, water that is too salty to drink but far less salty than seawater, making desalination a practical solution for water scarcity in the region.
Unlike coastal desalination plants that treat seawater, most inland desalination focuses on brackish water from aquifers, which requires significantly less energy and cost to treat.
Texas faces a growing water supply gap. The state's population is projected to nearly double by 2070, while existing surface water and groundwater supplies are under increasing pressure from drought, agriculture, and energy production. Brackish desalination is one of the few scalable, drought-independent water supply strategies available — and Texas sits on some of the largest brackish aquifer reserves in the United States.
The most common method. Water is pushed through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure, blocking salt and contaminants while allowing clean water to pass through.
Before reaching the RO membrane, water goes through sediment filters and chemical treatment to prevent scaling and membrane damage.
Treated water is remineralized and pH-adjusted to meet drinking water standards or specific industrial requirements.
The concentrated salt byproduct (brine) must be responsibly managed either through valorization(reuse) techniques or properly disposed of.
Our team can walk you through a live demo of our new patented membrane for your desalination needs.