EPCOR Plans Massive Desalination Project to Supply Water for Greater Houston

With droughts and an increasing population putting pressure on Texas’s freshwater supplies, an innovative approach is emerging to convert seawater into a sustainable solution. EPCOR Holdings NR, a Texas-based subsidiary of Canada’s EPCOR Utilities Inc., has applied for a state permit to construct a desalination plant along the shores of Galveston Bay. This facility has the potential to supply up to 26.5 million gallons of drinking water daily to the Greater Houston area.

Last week, EPCOR Holdings NR submitted a discharge permit application to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for the redevelopment of the former P.H. Robinson Power Generating Station site. Public filings and the Galveston County Daily News have reported that the Robinson Power Generating Station was located in Bacliff.

“We are excited to present a proposal that ensures a robust and sustainable water supply solution while protecting the health of local ecosystems,” stated EPCOR President and CEO John Elford. “Galveston Bay stands as one of Texas’ most cherished natural assets, serving as a crucial pillar for the local, national, and global economy.”

Elford stated that the company's proposal strikes a balance between caring for the environment and ensuring long-term water security, placing EPCOR in a pivotal position to tackle one of Texas's growing resource challenges.

On Friday, Matthew Atwood, a spokesperson for EPCOR, informed The Chronicle that the timeline for receiving approval from TCEQ remains unclear. “EPCOR is dedicated to collaborating with TCEQ during the public process to ensure everything proceeds as smoothly as possible,” Atwood stated.

A virtual tour of the proposed 230-acre site reveals plans to transform much of the current infrastructure for new purposes. Seawater is set to flow into the facility through a two-mile intake channel from Dickinson Bayou, where it will undergo reverse osmosis filtration to eliminate salt and impurities. The brine byproduct will then be released through a separate two-mile outflow channel, specifically designed to reduce environmental impact on Galveston Bay.

The facility, previously managed by Houston Lighting & Power, has remained inactive since its decommissioning in 2009. EPCOR’s proposal aims to revitalize the property and contribute to the drinking water needs of Houston’s swiftly expanding population of 8 million residents.

EPCOR Holdings, based in Georgetown near Austin, is actively managing numerous significant water infrastructure initiatives throughout Texas. These include the extensive 142-mile Vista Ridge pipeline stretching from Burleson County to San Antonio, a 130-mile pipeline traversing eastern Travis County, and an industrial water treatment facility that caters to Samsung’s semiconductor plant located in Taylor.

If given the green light, the Galveston Bay facility would represent EPCOR’s most significant desalination project in the United States—and one of the boldest efforts to ensure Texas’s water sustainability in the face of a shifting climate.