State environmental regulators are preparing to take another critical step toward allowing treated oilfield wastewater to be spread on Texas farmland. Supporters of the proposal say it could help the state’s water supply needs, while critics warn it could expose communities and agricultural land to contaminants if not treated properly.
A s the state faces an impending water supply crisis and state leaders explore different ways to expand the supply, they are looking at the billions of gallons of toxic wastewater produced every year from oil and gas operations. Lawmakers have invested millions of dollars in studying the wastewater generated during oil and gas extraction and learning how to clean it. They’ve directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the state’s environmental regulator, to lead the charge in setting water quality guidelines to make reusing produced water possible.
The agency has written proposed rules for how produced water will be regulated. Critics say those rules are not specific enough to make water containing a highly toxic mix of chemicals safe to spray on farmland.
Julie Range, a policy manager with the watchdog organization Commission Shift, said the idea of finding other uses for the wastewater is appealing in principle, particularly in a drought-prone state facing growing water demands, “but the devil’s in the details.”
The TCEQ held a virtual and in-person public hearing on June 15 that gave Texans an opportunity to comment on the plan.
