Water Well Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/529509
"As water needs for municipalities and industries continue to grow, so does interest in pumping and desalinating brackish groundwater," said Alyson Mc- Donald, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist at Fort Stockton. McDonald said she has already been asked to present the information at three producer meetings in Culberson, Rea- gan, and Upton counties. Though formerly a scourge to landowners seeking freshwater for live- stock, domestic use, and irrigating, Mc- Donald said many are now eyeing the seemingly limitless supply of brackish groundwater as less a liability and more a potential asset. "There is a large supply of brackish water in West Texas and other parts of the state," she said. "State legislators have filed several bills that would pave the way to pump brackish water and de- salinate it to meet the growing need for freshwater. Landowners should be aware that some of the bills include lan- guage that would permit production of brackish water while restricting the au- thority of groundwater conservation dis- tricts to regulate brackish groundwater pumping." To complicate matters, McDonald said four of the primary West Texas brackish aquifers—the Capitan Reef, Rustler, Dockum, and Pecos Valley— are in direct contact with one another and also are hydraulically connected, meaning pumping from one may have impacts on wells and water levels in the others. Studies show brackish water has been found in 26 of the 30 aquifers in Texas and totals an estimated 2.7 billion acre-feet, or enough to cover Texas in 15 feet of water, she said. The Pecos Valley aquifer alone is estimated to con- tain 85 million acre-feet or almost 28 trillion gallons of brackish water. To qualify as brackish water, it must contain 1000 to10,000 parts per million total dissolved solids. Total dissolved solids are the dissolved salts such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, sulfur, boron, and sodium in the water. Twitter @WaterWellJournl US Warehouse: Dallas TX | Australasian Warehouse: Sydney, NSW kwik-ZIP® is a registered trademark of kwik-ZIP Pty Ltd Certifi ed to ISO 9001: 2000 CENTRALIZER & SPACER SYSTEMS FOR THE DRILLING & CIVIL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES The COST-EFFICIENT and HASSLE-FREE way to centralize all your casing, screen and drop pipe applications. • Suits diameters 0.70" (18mm) up to 63" (1600mm) and above • Multiple bow heights-numerous ID-OD combinations • Curved profi le for easy insertion into borehole/casing • Integrated rubber pads (HD Series) to prevent slippage • Rapid and simple on-site assembly • No metal parts USA Sales Offi ce (Dallas TX) 972-790-0160 For product prices and ordering information please contact sales@kwikzip.com Or visit us online for details of your nearest distributor at: w w w . k w i k z i p . c o m "These centralizers have provided excellent centering capability and a resulting grout job that meets all specifications. …It's a good product and after recent failures with stainless centralizers, I am real happy to see a product with good strength properties available for contractors to use." Jim Frazee, Hydrogeologist Florida USA. WWJ July 2015 15 R C N CTERIA! 096 2 . ORE, ALER! USH + WELL Jr. Blvd. • Lubbock, TX 79404 747.2096 • coteychemical.com N BA FOR CHOICE WEAPONS R W 806 7 U A M 7 4410 MLK 806.7 NEWS continues on page 16