Texas Desal Association

Enhancing Water Supplies for Now and the Future...

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • About Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Committees
    • Scholarship
    • Scholarship Donation
  • Events
    • Texas Desal 2023 Annual Conference
    • Past Conferences
      • 2022 Conference
      • 2021 Conference
      • 2020 Virtual Conference
      • 2019 Conference
      • 2018 Conference
      • 2017 Conference
      • 2016 Conference
      • 2015 Conference
      • 2014 Conference
      • 2013 Conference
    • 2023 Industry Events
    • Lunch & Learn Series
  • Resources
    • Website Banner Advertising
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Links
    • TXD Safety Protocols and Practices for In-Person Meetings
  • Advocacy
  • Desal FAQs
  • Members Only
  • Contact
  • Renew
  • Login
  • Join

2018 Conference

 

Thank you for another successful Texas Desal conference!

TD18_PodiumSign_18X8_GTP

The annual conference brought together a diverse group of municipalities, water suppliers, engineers, regulators and legislators with industry professionals to discuss how to implement desal in Texas.

The agenda is listed below, along with all presentations in PDF format. Speaker biographies can be found here.

Scroll down for event photo gallery.

 

Congratulations!

  • 2018 Ed Archuleta Desalter Scholarship Winner – Amit Jain from Rice University
  • 2018 Best of Show Student Research Poster – Miguel Fraga from University of Texas at El Paso
  • Raffle Winner: Hill Country Getaway – Rex Hunt, Alan Plummer Associates                              Donated by Paul & Peach Choules
  • Raffle Winner: 7-nights in Barcelona Apartment – Alan R. Pyle, WaterFleet                              Donated by Linda Fernandez

 

Wednesday, September 12

Bus Tour to SAWS desalination plant and ASR facility

Afternoon learning tour before the conference. Don’t miss the bus next year! $35 add-on at registration.

Wine-Tasting & Fundraising Event for Ed Archuleta Scholarship Fund

Hosted by Texas Desalination Association Board of Directors

Thursday, September 13

Introduction to International Desalination Association

Miguel Angel Sanz, SUEZ and IDA board

The Real World of Cost, Risk & Regulations

        • Case studies in TX/US: Carlos Rubinstein, Poseidon
        • Case studies outside the US: Miguel Angel Sanz, SUEZ

Managing Cost and Risk

        • P3, Desal, and the Real Cost of Capital: Mike Irlbeck, EPCOR
        • To P3 or not to P3?: Richard Whiting, Seven Seas Water
        • Cost of Desal vs New Water Development: Mike Hightower, UNM

Texas Brackish Groundwater: Tapping Our 2.8 Billion ac-ft

Moderator: Kevin Spencer, R.W. Harden & Assoc.

        • Ten Years & Looking Forward: Scott Reinert, El Paso Water
        • Victories & Challenges: Saqib Shirazi, San Antonio Water System (unavailable)
        • Brazosport Now!: Allen Woelke, CDM Smith
        • Can Desal Save Imperial, TX?: Dennis Owens, Charlton Resources
        • Criteria for Mapping Brackish GW as a Resource: John Meyer, Texas Water Development Board

Introduction to PLW Waterworks – Webber & Luncheon Speaker

Peter Bailey, PLW Waterworks

Luncheon Keynote Speaker

Kevin Price, Middle East Desalination Research Center

Presentation of Ed Archuleta Desalter Scholarship

Awarded to Amit Jain, Rice University 

Innovative Technology & Research

Moderated by Tom Pankratz, Water Desalination Report, GWI, and Yuliana Porras-Mendoza, Bureau of Reclamation

Yuliana Porras-Mendoza, Bureau of Reclamation

The 7-Minute Pitch

        • Ronit Erlitzki, AdEdge Water Technologies WINNER!
        • Larry Kearns, SunTunnel: Brine concentrate to fresh water
        • Jarrod Massam, Omya Advanced Remineralization Process
        • Brent Waller, Surface Discharge with Aquafortus™-NTR

Legal & Regulatory | Challenges & Opportunities

Moderated by Steve Walden, Texas Desalination Association, board president 

1) Brackish Groundwater

        • Legal: Carolyn Ahrens, Booth, Ahrens & Werkenthin
        • Subsidence & Brackish Water Development: Mike Turco, Fort Bend Subsidence District

2) Seawater Desalination

        • Water extraction: Kim Wilson, TCEQ
        • Residual discharge: David Galindo, TCEQ
        • Decision-support tools to support new rules: Cindy Loeffler, Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept.

Concentrate Management, Disposal & Zero Liquid Discharge

Moderator: Mike Hightower, UNM

        • Brine disposal methods/challenges in Texas: Erika Mancha, TWDB
        • Full Recovery Desal in El Paso: Bill Norris, NorrisLeal (unavailable)
        • The Practical Side of Concentrate Disposal in the Valley: Steven Sanchez, NAWSC

Legislative Committee Report

Justin Sutherland, Carollo

Legislative Keynote: Senator Charles Perry, Chairman of Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs

 

Friday, September 14

The State of Permitting Brackish Groundwater in Texas: A Joint Panel

Moderated by Sarah Schlessinger, TAGD, and Kyle Frazier, Texas Desal

        • Greg Sengelmann, Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District
        • Brian Smith, Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District
        • Darrell Peckham, Peckham PG Consulting
        • Steve Young, Intera

Expanding the Texas Water Portfolio

Produced water

Moderator: Steve Walden, Texas Desalination board member

        • Steve Coffee, Produced Water Society
        • John Tintera, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers
        • Holly Churman and Jonathan Eller, PhD, GHD Services

Reuse

Moderator: Eva Steinle-Darling, Carollo

        • Melanie Holmer, Brown & Caldwell
        • Peter Bailey, PLW Waterworks
        • Ellen McDonald, Alan Plummer Associates

A Case For High Recovery, Low Energy, Low Cost Desalination with Twin Turbocharger

Michael Gisclair, FEDCO

Special Focus Luncheon: Marine Desal on the Texas Coast

Moderated by Ross Ramsey, Executive Editor, Texas Tribune

        • City of Corpus Christi, Jorge Arroyo
        • Port of Corpus Christi, Bech Bruun
        • Texas coastal industries, Tim Finley, DOW
        • Seven Seas Water, Richard Whiting

Conference Photos!

Samuel Olatunji (Texas A&M University-Kingsville) explaining his poster
Attendees voted for best student poster
Question to seawater desal panel from audience
Yuliana, Porras-Mendoza and Tom Pankratz flank the 7-Minute Pitchers
Panelists from Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts and Texas Desalination Association
Student research poster winner, Miguel Fraga (UT- El Paso), explaining his work
Attendees share preference on groundwater regulation
Seven Seas Water enjoys the Seven Seas cocktail at VIP reception
VIP reception hosted by Seven Seas Water
Mobile devices were kept alive and well at Poseidon’s Power-Up lounge
Water Reuse panelists
Senator Charles Perry honored at VIP Reception, hosted by Seven Seas Water
Produced Water panel
PLW Waterworks, sponsor and exhibitor
Poseidon Water, sponsor and exhibitor
Kyle Frazier introduces panel on marine desalination on the Texas coast
Mike Irlbeck, EPCOR, presents P3, Deal and the Real Cost of Capital
Legal & Regulatory, Seawater Desal Panel
Carolyn Ahrens, Ahrens & Werkenthin, on legalities of brackish groundwater
Good crowd in 2018
Holly Churman, GHD Services, presents on produced water management
Bill Norris, NorrisLeal, pitches wine socks during Concentrate Management panel
Mike Hightower, Univ. New Mexico, enjoys a presentation
Miguel Sanz, SUEZ, presents case studies outside U.S.
Larry Kearns presents his 7-Minute Pitch
Kim Wilson ,TCEQ, presents on seawater extraction
Keynote Kevin Price, U.S. Representative to the Middle East Desalination Research Center
Legislative committee presentation from Justin Sutherland, Carollo
Cool.
Carlos Rubinstein presents desal case studies on behalf of Poseidon Water
Networking in the exhibitor hall
It’s all about the food!
Amit Jain, Rice University, recipient of 2018 Ed Archuleta Desalter Scholarship. Presented by Justin Sutherland, Carollo, and Paul Choules, Water Cycle

Contact Us

Texas Desalination Association (TXD)
Headquartered in Austin, TX

Mailing Address:
2409 SE Dixie Hwy
Stuart, FL 34996
(512) 322-0404
custsrv@texasdesal.com

Join Us

Membership in TexasDesal puts you on the front row for water policy initiatives, actions with elected officials and government agencies, and the latest desal industry developments in Texas.

Join Now  

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Privacy Policy | TXD Safety Protocols and Practices for In-Person Meetings

Copyright © 2023 Texas Desal Association. All Rights Reserved.