EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 El Paso Water is moving forward with a project aimed at turning brackish groundwater into drinking water as officials look to expand the region\u2019s supply of safe, drinkable water.<\/p>\n
During Wednesday’s Public Service Board meeting, the utility’s board approved a plan to turn brine water, the salty waste product left over from the desalination process, into drinking water. <\/p>\n
According to El Paso Water, the plan, in partnership with Upwell Water Critical Material Corporation, would allow the tech-enabled water resource and infrastructure company to treat brine water generated from El Paso Water\u2019s desalination plant in East El Paso and return it to El Paso Water.<\/p>\n
The utility said it’s the first-of-its-kind project as officials expect the effort to recover up to 3 million gallons of potable water per day, or about 1.1 billion gallons annually.<\/p>\n
In addition to producing drinking water, the project is expected to extract valuable minerals from the brine, creating what officials describe as a process with virtually no waste.<\/p>\n
However, it remains unclear how much the project would cost customers, and officials at El Paso Water said it’s still unclear when the private facility will be completed.<\/p>\n
While questions remain over the new plan, the item was moved into executive session for legal discussion before the board ultimately voted to approve it. <\/p>\n
KFOX14\/CBS4 has reached out to El Paso Water for comment. <\/p>\n
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