Brackish desalination presented as a scalable water option for Pecos

Rosanna Ramirez, business development director for 7C's Water Group, gave the council an extended briefing on brackish-groundwater desalination as an inland water-supply option. She described reverse-osmosis technology, operational models (water-as-a-service), permitting and typical timelines (12–24 months, with permitting often the longest phase).

Ramirez cited Texas examples: large inland brackish plants such as El Paso's plant (producing millions of gallons per day), Brownsville and San Antonio, and a 4-MGD plant for Alice, Texas, where brackish supply is now providing the majority of city water during low-lake conditions. She outlined a staged process for Pecos: hydrologic studies and test wells to confirm quantity/quality, an initial services agreement, project development and phased construction and operations.

The company said a services contract can fix a price per thousand gallons (indexed to CPI only) and that brackish treatment avoids competition for fresh groundwater. Ramirez acknowledged concentrate (brine) disposal options (surface discharge, ponds, deep injection) and noted regulatory review. Questions from council focused on cost, timelines and how brackish plants handle constituents such as boron. Ramirez said engineers can add a second-pass treatment to address constituents not regulated by Texas but recommended for health.

No formal city decision was taken; staff said the presentation will inform a feasibility study and next steps if the council wishes to proceed.