In a modern twist on the old 'water, water everywhere' adage, Texas oil companies are eyeing the state's rivers and streams as a new frontier for disposing of treated wastewater from drilling operations. Texas Pacific Water Resources is at the forefront of these efforts, seeking a permit to unload up to 840,000 gallons per day into a tributary of the Pecos River, as per The Texas Tribune.

Downstream from oil fields, the Pecos River, once suffering from salinity woes, could see more flow – albeit from an unconventional source. Robert Crain, executive vice president of Texas Pacific Water Resources, told The Texas Tribune that their company is committed to purifying the oilfield wastewater to acceptable standards. Critics, however, warn of potentially hazardous substances such as radioactive materials and toxic drilling additives that could escape current water quality metrics.

While the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) plays catch-up in setting pollutant limits, the repercussions of such discharges on Texas waterways remain undetermined. Federal oversight is scant, as authority largely defers to state-level jurisdiction, sparking fears that the regulatory safeguards may lag behind the pace of industry innovation. Others, like Ira Yates, founder of Friends of the Pecos, caution against treating the river as a mere dumping ground, emphasizing the need for water disposal plans in the best interest of the ecosystem – a sentiment echoed in various interviews and research studies highlighting potential environmental fallout.

On the flip side, there's an evident thirst for turning waste into resources, considering Texas' looming water scarcity. According to The Texas Tribune, a state water fund is laying down serious cash for new water supplies, including produced water reuse.