Growing water demand and groundwater restrictions are driving communities toward BWRO desalination
As freshwater supplies become increasingly constrained, communities are looking beneath their feet for an abundant water source that has been largely overlooked for decades.
Across Texas and other water-stressed regions, developing new freshwater supplies is becoming increasingly difficult. Groundwater pumping restrictions, prolonged drought, population growth, and rising infrastructure costs are forcing utilities to rethink where tomorrow’s drinking water will come from.
In Texas, groundwater conservation districts are implementing Desired Future Conditions (DFCs) that limit long-term groundwater withdrawals, encouraging communities to identify sustainable alternative water supplies that can support continued growth.
Once considered too salty and expensive to treat, brackish groundwater has become one of the most practical alternative water supplies available for inland communities. Modern brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) technology allows municipalities to transform these underused aquifers into dependable drinking water supplies while reducing pressure on limited freshwater resources.
Several Seven Seas Water Group projects, including the City of Alice and the South Texas Water Authority, demonstrate how communities are already using brackish groundwater to improve long-term water security through flexible Water-as-a-Service® delivery.
In This Article
Why Communities Are Looking Beyond Traditional Water Supplies
Throughout much of the United States, groundwater is being withdrawn faster than aquifers can naturally recharge, while drought and population growth continue to strain surface water supplies. Groundwater management programs in states such as Texas, Arizona, California, and Kansas are encouraging communities to diversify their water portfolios, making brackish groundwater an increasingly attractive long-term water source.
What Is Brackish Groundwater?
Brackish groundwater contains more dissolved salts than freshwater but significantly less than seawater. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), brackish groundwater generally contains between 1,000 and 10,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of total dissolved solids.
Historically, these aquifers were considered unsuitable for drinking water because treatment costs were too high. Today, advances in membrane technology have made them a practical water source for many municipalities.
Rather than leaving these resources unused, communities are converting them into reliable drinking water supplies while preserving higher-quality freshwater resources for future generations.
Why BWRO Is Changing the Economics of Inland Desalination
The technology making this transition possible is brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO), a desalination process specifically designed for moderately saline groundwater.
Unlike seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO), BWRO treats water with much lower salt concentrations. Because less pressure is required, BWRO systems consume significantly less energy, require fewer chemicals, and generally produce drinking water at substantially lower operating costs than seawater desalination.
For inland communities, BWRO can also be far less expensive than developing new reservoirs, constructing long-distance transmission pipelines, or purchasing imported water supplies.
BWRO systems use pretreatment, reverse osmosis membranes, and post-treatment processes to remove dissolved salts while producing high-quality drinking water that meets municipal standards.
Advances in membrane performance and energy efficiency continue to improve the economics of BWRO, strengthening its position in long-term water supply planning.
Texas Communities Are Already Making the Transition
City of Alice, Texas
The City of Alice’s BWRO facility transforms brackish groundwater into a dependable drinking water supply through Seven Seas Water Group’s Water-as-a-Service® model.
The City of Alice became one of the first municipalities in Texas to develop a large-scale brackish groundwater desalination project through a public-private partnership.
Seven Seas designed, financed, built, owns, and operates a 3 MGD BWRO facility under its Water-as-a-Service® model, transforming an underused brackish aquifer into a dependable municipal drinking water supply.
Rather than funding major infrastructure upfront, the city pays for treated water through a predictable service agreement while Seven Seas assumes responsibility for financing, operations, and maintenance.
The project demonstrates how communities can improve water security while avoiding large capital expenditures.
South Texas Water Authority
The South Texas Water Authority demonstrates how brackish groundwater can support multiple municipalities through scalable regional infrastructure.
The project will support multiple communities throughout Nueces and Kleberg Counties while reducing dependence on increasingly stressed freshwater supplies.
Like Alice, the facility is delivered under a Water-as-a-Service® agreement, providing long-term operational certainty without requiring significant upfront public investment.
Building More Resilient Water Supplies
Brackish groundwater is no longer viewed as a backup water source. For many communities, it is becoming part of a diversified, long-term water supply strategy.
Projects like Alice and the South Texas Water Authority demonstrate that previously underused aquifers can become dependable drinking water sources when paired with modern BWRO technology and innovative project delivery models.
As freshwater supplies become more constrained and groundwater regulations continue to evolve, brackish groundwater offers communities an opportunity to strengthen water security, improve drought resilience, and support future growth without relying solely on traditional freshwater resources.
Seven Seas Water Group has decades of experience in designing, financing, building, and operating brackish water desalination facilities worldwide. Through Water-as-a-Service®, we help communities develop reliable drinking water supplies while avoiding major upfront capital investment and improving long-term water resilience.
Contact our team to learn how BWRO can support municipal water supply strategies.