As EPCOR evaluates the feasibility of a seawater desalination facility in Texas City, Texas, extensive environmental studies have been conducted with external partners and bay system experts. More information on this research can be found in the “Environmental studies” section of this website. It is important that any facility be a sustainable water treatment plant developed and operated to avoid and minimize impacts to the ecosystem in and around Galveston Bay. We also understand that residents, stakeholders, and community members have important questions. This page is designed to provide clear and transparent answers about the project’s purpose, process, environmental effects, water needs, and local benefits. We are committed to keeping the public informed and welcome ongoing dialogue as the evaluation progresses.
Yes! The Texas Water Development Board predicts our region will face a nearly 257-billion-gallon shortage by the year 2080 unless we add new water supplies.
Drought-impacted rivers, diminished groundwater availability and population growth all contribute to the supply challenges.
Creating a new, dependable water source provides certainty even during times of drought, protects families, businesses and property values.
We’re a North American utility company with more than 130 years of experience, providing safe and reliable water to millions of families and businesses every day.
With more than 100 employees across the Lone Star State, we’ve been providing water to Texans since 2016.
Our complex water and wastewater solutions include reverse osmosis treatment, the leading desalination method.
As one of Texas’ favorite fishing and recreation hubs, keeping Galveston Bay ecosystems healthy is our top priority.
Our modeling and independent review from researchers at Texas A&M- University Galveston confirm our proposed project would keep salinity levels within the optimal range that allows native species of fish, oysters, shrimp and crabs to grow and thrive.
Reusing an abandoned power plant also minimizes our disturbance to other wildlife and marine habitats.
The planned facility has multiple benefits including:
Existing water intake and outfall infrastructure used by the decommissioned P.H. Robinson Power Plant.
Several major rivers flow into Galveston Bay making it less salty than other bays along the Texas coast. More fresh water means less energy used in the treatment process.
The Galveston-Houston area is also one of the largest populated areas in Texas providing ample existing water delivery and power systems near the site.
EPCOR Utilities Inc. (EPCOR) is a North American utility company with extensive experience developing and operating water treatment facilities, and transmission and distribution networks in the United States and Canada. In Texas, EPCOR provides wholesale water supplies to communities in Central Texas.
Desalination is the process of removing salt and other minerals from water for municipal, industrial or agricultural uses. The technology, called reverse osmosis, involves pushing saltwater through a membrane that holds back impurities but allows water molecules to pass through, producing a safe and reliable water supply for residential, municipal, industrial and agricultural purposes. This desalination method is commonly used on large cruise ships, U.S. Navy vessels and in coastal communities around the globe.
There are two standard desalination methods. One involves evaporating and distilling saltwater to remove dissolved salts and other minerals. The other desalination strategy involves pushing saltwater through a membrane that holds back impurities but allows water molecules to pass through. The proposed desalination project near Bacliff, Texas would involve the second, filter-based method also known as reverse osmosis (RO).
Texas urgently needs expanded water supplies. It is currently estimated that 25 percent of Texas’ population will have less than half the water they require during drought conditions by 2070.
EPCOR has selected the site of the former P.H. Robinson Generating Station in Texas, City, Texas. for a possible desalination facility because of its proximity to a large population base in need of reliable future water supplies. As an existing industrial site, the location benefits from adjacent supporting utilities. Additionally the existing large-capacity intake and outfall channels have the potential to once again be used to circulate water, with minimal impacts to wildlife habitats.
Development of the project would also improve a large swath of the property, which has been uninhabited for over two decades and result in the repair or demolition of a number of aging structures.
In support of the permitting process, EPCOR has conducted extensive environmental studies with external partners and bay system experts. It is important that any facility be a sustainable water treatment plant developed and operated to avoid and minimize impacts to the ecosystem in and around Galveston Bay. If the project were to move forward, the permitting, design, community engagement, construction and pre-certification testing processes for the Bayshore Desalination Facility would take approximately 5 years to complete.
In Tampa Bay, Florida, the Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant has been operating since 2007. It provides as much as 25 million gallons of drinking water to the region on a daily basis, which is approximately 10 percent of the area’s needs. This daily output is essentially equal to the current top capacity of the proposed Bayshore Desalination Project.
There are other similarities between the existing and proposed facilities as well. For example, both plants employ intake and outfall channels which impact the water flowing in and out of the facility. As the below aerial image shows, the Tampa Bay desalination plant is fed by an intake channel. Following the desalination process, higher-salinity discharge water is first blended with fresh water before it is released into the outfall channel. There, it is blended and diluted even further with more seawater before it flows into the larger bay. At that point, where the outfall channel meets the bay, salinity levels are only 1.0 to 1.5 percent higher, on average, than untreated seawater in the bay.
As for the impacts of the existing plant in Tampa Bay, several independent studies concluded the facility would not harm the bay’s water quality or marine life. Since that time, no major negative environmental events have been reported.
Additionally, desalination plants have systems in place to monitor the salinity of the source water, desalinated drinking water and discharged concentrated seawater. Alarm systems ensure any adjustments are promptly made. In addition, desalination facilities are designed to automatically shut down if monitored levels exceed predetermined parameters.
EPCOR has extensive experience delivering large-scale, complex water treatment and supply projects, including advanced treatment technologies frequently used in seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination facilities. Two notable examples demonstrate EPCOR’s expertise:
EPCOR operates the Darlington Demineralized Water Treatment Plant in Ontario Canada, which treats raw water from Lake Ontario to produce 2.6 million gallons of ultra-pure water per day for nuclear power generation. The facility utilizes advanced water treatment technologies and responsibly discharges clean, treated wastewater back into Lake Ontario. This project showcases EPCOR’s ability to manage raw water intakes, operate sophisticated treatment systems, and comply with strict environmental standards.
EPCOR’s Britannia Mine Water Treatment Plant is a high-density sludge water treatment plant to remediate acid rock drainage from an abandoned copper mine, removing 1.3 million pounds of contaminants annually and neutralizing the water’s acidity.
This specialized expertise speaks to EPCOR’s capability to develop and operate desalination facilities that meet community water supply needs while safeguarding the surrounding ecosystem.
For several years, our region has experienced periods of increased wet weather and also extremely dry conditions. Despite these fluctuations, during times of drought, water supplies from groundwater and surface water sources have been and will remain a serious concern. This is why additional water supplies are being developed across the entire state of Texas. The goal is to place local communities, including the Gulf Coast region, in a better position in times of drought or other water shortage situations. Additionally, several factors point to future drought and water challenges. According to the “Assessment of Historic and Future Trends of Extreme Weather in Texas 1900-2036” by the Texas A&M University Office of the Texas State Climatologist, the number of 100-degree days measured across Texas is expected to quadruple by 2036. In addition, the average annual Texas surface temperature in 2036 is expected to be 3.0 °F warmer than the 1950-1999 average and 1.8 °F warmer than the 1991-2020 average. These predicted changes will impact water evaporation levels and drought conditions. In addition to rising temperatures and the frequent threat of drought, our state’s population continues to rapidly expand. With this expansion comes the need for additional water supplies to serve incoming residents. The latest census data reveals more than 30 million people now reside in Texas, with much of that growth taking place within the southeast corner of the state. Furthermore, a continued and rapid population increase is expected in the years ahead.
The Bayshore Desalination Facility would serve residents and businesses throughout Galveston and Harris counties, as well as surrounding areas. In addition, the development of a desalination facility in the region would help address statewide water shortages.
The initial output of the proposed plant is 26.5 million gallons per day. One benefit of the current site capacity is the ability to gradually increase clean water production over time. The flexibility of this site, including the option to bring additional water desalination equipment online in the years ahead, would allow for expanding the capacity of the plant as community water needs increase.
Clean water produced by the desalination facility would be transported by pipeline to the nearby communities being served. This distribution will take place in part through existing water transmission facilities.
The resource is intended for area community needs, so both residents and businesses would benefit from increased water supplies created by the establishment of a desalination facility adjacent to Galveston Bay.
Texas lawmakers, local county commissioners, and river authorities who provide surface water resources to Texas communities have repeatedly raised concerns about current and future water shortages across the state. This is why a series of projects are being considered along the Texas coastline. In order to address our state's vast water needs, several desalination facilities will likely be constructed over the next several decades.
Water containing filtered salts is the byproduct of the desalination process. This water is then blended with untreated ocean water and returned to the ocean in a controlled manner. For the planned facility in Texas City, the existing two-mile, man-made outfall channel will further mix the water before it enters Galveston Bay. From the start, EPCOR has adopted a conservative project design that will reduce the average salinity of the discharge into Galveston Bay to about 21 parts per thousand (ppt), a level that does not harm wildlife and allows regional species to continue to thrive. For more information about the predicted bay and wildlife impacts, we invite you to review the results of extensive research conducted by Texas A&M University, Galveston, which can be found here.
Based on environmental studies with external partners and bay system experts , it’s expected the facility will have little to no impacts on wildlife or plants living in the bay. It is important that any facility be a sustainable water treatment plant developed and operated to avoid and minimize impacts to the ecosystem, including fishing and the local oyster trade. One of the primary reasons why this site was chosen for a possible desalination facility, is the existence of multi-mile, man-made intake and outfall channels which would be used to remove water from Galveston Bay and also return water to the bay following treatment. The roughly two-mile outfall channel will act as a diffuser, minimizing the return of salt back into Galveston Bay. Initial models suggest higher salt levels will only be detected within a small stretch of water, approximately a few hundred feet from where the man-made outfall channel exits into Galveston Bay. For more information about the predicted bay and wildlife impacts, we invite you to review the research conducted by Texas A&M University, Galveston, which can be found here.
The desalination facility would be designed to avoid and minimize harm to small and large marine life. Larger animals would be able to avoid the water intake as operating pumps run at a very low flow velocity of less than 0.5 cubic feet per second. Additionally, the system helps prevent smaller organisms like shrimp, fish larvae, or plankton from being drawn in by utilizing fine mesh screens with 1 to 3-millimeter openings. These screens regularly rotate to release materials or small animals.
Biological studies are being conducted by EPCOR, along with independent institutions such as Texas A&M University at Galveston to ensure long-term ecosystem health, while meeting or exceeding Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requirements for protecting marine life from desalination operations.
It’s also notable that the P.H. Robinson Power Generating Station circulated hundreds of millions of gallons of water each day at this same site for over 50 years while Galveston Bay remained a premier fishing destination in Texas. EPCOR will reintroduce circulation to the channels with the proposed project, however at a smaller scale, and using significantly less water compared to the now decommissioned power plant. Additionally, EPCOR will adhere to all local, state and federal requirements relating to safeguarding fish and wildlife in all surface water treatment facilities, including the proposed desalination facility.
Based on environmental assessments and monitoring, it is also expected that a desalination facility would have little to no impact on area oyster beds. This is partially the case due to plans to significantly blend saltwater released from the facility and the positive natural reduction of salt levels via the existing 2-mile, man-made outfall channel.
Several site evaluations are currently taking place to determine whether there are pollution concerns and if so, which actions will be required to address those issues prior to possible construction of a desalination facility. Notably, the site currently contains both structures and materials that would need to be disposed of if development moves forward.
We understand that any possibility of water contamination causes concern. We take the safety of the water we deliver very seriously. We regularly conduct rigorous testing of all water in our system and adhere strictly to all federal and state safety guidelines.
The Bayshore Desalination Facility would utilize a reverse osmosis process, capable of removing PFAS and other contaminants to produce safe, high-quality drinking water. The reverse osmosis process is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as one of the most effective methods for PFAS removal, with removal efficiencies above 90% for a wide range of PFAS compounds. (https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/reducing-pfas-drinking-water-treatment-technologies)
In addition to reverse osmosis, our facility will remove suspended solids from the raw water, including microplastics, algae, plankton, and silt, which will be properly disposed of at a permitted landfill through conventional and filtration technologies. This step will allow for the reverse osmosis system to focus on the removal of specific molecules such as PFAS. All of this is done to ensure that the facility will meet or exceed all regulatory requirements from TCEQ and EPA regarding contaminant management and water quality standards.
Reverse osmosis uses semi-permeable membranes that act as an extremely fine barrier at a molecular level, physically blocking PFAS molecules, microplastics, and other contaminants from passing through while allowing water molecules to pass. This process effectively separates contaminants from the clean water, separating all other molecules into a separate stream called brine or concentrate.
The reverse osmosis process removes dissolved constituents from the raw water, including total dissolved solids (TDS) and PFAS, to produce clean drinking water for our customers. The concentrated materials would be returned to Galveston Bay through our to-be permitted discharge system via the existing 2-mile, man-made outfall channel.
Currently, there are no regulatory requirements for treating desalination discharge effluent for PFAS removal. Our discharge operations will comply with all existing and any future environmental regulations and discharge permits issued by TCEQ and EPA. The facility is designed to meet all current regulatory requirements, and we will adapt our operations as needed to comply with any future regulations that may be established for PFAS management.
The 2-mile, man-made outfall channel allows for significant dilution of the stream by allowing molecules to return back to ambient levels in Galveston Bay. Through our monitoring programs and independent academic analysis/review, we demonstrate that our operations will maintain the environmental integrity of the bay while providing safe, clean drinking water to Texas communities.
TBD