The Brackish Opportunity
Texas sits atop one of the largest brackish groundwater reserves in North America—water too salty for drinking but readily treatable with proven desalination technology.
Texas Brackish Resources:
| Aquifer System | Estimated Volume | Current Use | TDS Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Coast | 2.7 billion AF | <1% | 1,000–35,000 mg/L |
| Carrizo-Wilcox | 880 million AF | <2% | 1,000–10,000 mg/L |
| Trinity | 250 million AF | <1% | 1,500–10,000 mg/L |
| Edwards (saline zone) | 150+ million AF | Minimal | 1,000–250,000 mg/L |
| Ogallala (brackish) | 500+ million AF | <1% | 1,000–5,000 mg/L |
| Total | 4.5+ billion AF | <1% | — |
For context: Texas’s total annual water demand is approximately 18 million acre-feet. The brackish reserves represent over 250 years of total state water demand—yet remain almost entirely unused.
Why Brackish Remains Untapped
| Barrier | Impact | Standalone Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Brine management | Often prohibitive for inland sites | $20-50M per facility |
| Power supply | Remote locations lack infrastructure | $15-30M per facility |
| Delivery pipeline | No way to move water to demand | $50-150M per facility |
| Economies of scale | Small facilities have high unit costs | +$300-500/AF |
The Backbone Solution
The Backbone eliminates or dramatically reduces every barrier:
| Barrier | Standalone | Backbone-Connected | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brine management | $20-50M | $5-15M (transport to coast) | 70% |
| Power supply | $15-30M | $3-8M | 75% |
| Delivery pipeline | $50-150M | $10-30M | 80% |
| Total facility cost (25 MGD) | $250-350M | $100-150M | 50%+ |
Integration Design
Multi-Source Collection System
The Backbone is designed as a multi-source water network, not merely a seawater pipeline:
- Brine collector pipeline running parallel to water main (transports concentrate to Gulf Coast for valorization)
- Injection-capable buffers receiving water from multiple sources
- Connection stubs at strategic locations for future facilities
- HVDC power taps for facility connections
- Flexible control systems optimizing blending from multiple sources
System Architecture
| Buffer Location | Primary Source | Brackish Injection Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer 0 (Gulf Coast) | Seawater desal | 30 MGD |
| Buffer 1 (Victoria) | Backbone | 25 MGD |
| Buffer 2 (Carrizo) | Backbone | 35 MGD |
| Buffer 3 (Austin) | Backbone | 20 MGD |
| Buffer 4 (Waco) | Backbone | 15 MGD |
| Buffer 5 (DFW) | Backbone | 25 MGD |
Energy Advantage
Brackish desalination requires significantly less energy than seawater:
| Water Source | TDS | Energy Required | Relative Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seawater | 35,000 mg/L | 3.5–4.0 kWh/kgal | 1.00× |
| High-brackish | 10,000–15,000 mg/L | 2.0–2.5 kWh/kgal | 0.60× |
| Mid-brackish | 3,000–10,000 mg/L | 1.2–1.8 kWh/kgal | 0.40× |
| Low-brackish | 1,000–3,000 mg/L | 0.8–1.2 kWh/kgal | 0.28× |
A portfolio including 25% brackish water reduces total system energy consumption by 15-20%.
Development Plan
Phased Build-Out
| Phase | Timeline | Facilities | Capacity Added | Investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brackish-Ready Infrastructure | With Backbone | — | — | $213M |
| Phase 1 | 2033-2037 | Carrizo-Wilcox Central & East | 45,000 AF/yr | $235M |
| Phase 2 | 2036-2040 | Evangeline, Gulf Coast South, Edwards Saline | 61,000 AF/yr | $330M |
| Phase 3 | 2039-2045 | Trinity, Carrizo expansion | 78,000 AF/yr | $405M |
| Phase 4 | 2042-2047 | Permian produced water | 50,000 AF/yr | $325M |
| Total | — | 10+ facilities | 234,000 AF/yr | $1.51B |
Blended System Performance
| Scenario | Seawater | Brackish | Total Capacity | Avg Cost/AF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seawater only | 500,000 AF | — | 500,000 AF | $1,400 |
| With Phase 1-2 | 500,000 AF | 106,000 AF | 606,000 AF | $1,275 |
| Full brackish | 500,000 AF | 184,000 AF | 684,000 AF | $1,205 |
| With produced water | 500,000 AF | 234,000 AF | 734,000 AF | $1,170 |
Economic Impact
System-Wide Benefits
| Metric | Seawater-Only | Brackish-Integrated |
|---|---|---|
| Total capacity (2045) | 500,000 AF/year | 734,000 AF/year |
| Average water cost | $1,400/AF | $1,170/AF |
| Supply sources | 1 (Gulf Coast) | 10+ (distributed) |
| Hurricane vulnerability | High | Moderate (inland backup) |
Investment Returns
| Component | Investment | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Brackish-ready infrastructure | $213M | Enables $1.3B in facilities at 50% cost reduction |
| Brackish facilities | $1,295M | 234,000 AF/year at $650/AF |
| Total | $1.51B | $1.5-2.0B NPV advantage |
Brine as Product, Not Waste
Traditional inland desalination faces a critical barrier: brine disposal. Individual facilities must either inject into deep wells ($0.75-2.00/kgal) or build expensive zero-liquid-discharge systems.
The Backbone solves this by including a dedicated brine collector pipeline running parallel to the water main—but flowing in the opposite direction, carrying concentrate back to the Gulf Coast.
The Brine Transport Business Model:
Inland Brackish Facilities → Brine Collector Pipeline → Gulf Coast Processors
(produce concentrate) (TBA transport service) (purchase as feedstock)
| Transport Economics | Value |
|---|---|
| Brine collector pipeline cost | $90M (built with Backbone) |
| TBA transport fee | $0.15-0.25/kgal |
| Alternative (individual disposal) | $0.75-2.00/kgal |
| Savings to brackish operators | $0.50-1.75/kgal |
Why coastal processors want inland brine:
- Consistent quality from monitored sources
- Blending with seawater concentrate optimizes chemistry
- Some brackish sources have elevated lithium, magnesium, or other minerals
- Cheaper feedstock than producing from seawater alone
Valorization Revenue
Brackish brine actually improves overall economics:
| Brine Pathway | Revenue/Cost |
|---|---|
| Olin chlor-alkali feedstock | +$25-40M/year |
| Magnesium/salt extraction | +$5-10M/year |
| Lithium recovery (if present) | +$2-8M/year |
| Ocean discharge (residual only) | -$3-5M/year |
| Net brine economics | +$15-45M/year |
The Bottom Line
| Factor | Seawater Only | Brackish-Integrated |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 500,000 AF/yr | 734,000 AF/yr |
| Cost per AF | $1,400 | $1,170 |
| Resilience | Moderate | Excellent |
| Energy efficiency | Baseline | 15-20% better |
| 50-year NPV | Baseline | +$1.5-2.0B |
Texas has the water. The Backbone can deliver it. Building brackish-ready from the start costs 1.7% more but unlocks 47% more capacity at lower cost.
Build for the future, not just today’s needs.