The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) said Commissioner Wayne Christian on Thursday urged Texas lawmakers and regulators to fast-track a clear, efficient regulatory pathway for the industrial reuse of treated produced water, according to an Oct. 15 news release.
Christian cited research from The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University in arguing that Texas is proving it can turn an enormous oil-and-gas byproduct into a valuable water resource, the agency said. The release said that resource could support the state’s growing economy, data center expansion and oil and gas production.
“Texas desperately needs more water, and our oil and gas industry sits on an ocean of it,” Christian said in the release. “Texas must streamline the process to allow for the industrial reuse of treated produced water. This is a common-sense, win-win solution.” He added that the state needs “clear, predictable rules that enable data centers and private industry to put this resource to work safely, efficiently and economically.” If gaps in regulatory authority remain, Christian said, lawmakers should close them this legislative session.
According to the release, recent research from The University of Texas at Austin examined existing treatment and desalination technologies that can make produced water suitable for industrial uses where drinking-water quality is not required, such as data center cooling. The agency said UT researchers evaluated integrated treatment processes to remove contaminants from the complex wastewater stream and showed how treated produced water could ease pressure on traditional freshwater supplies.
The RRC said those findings complement a 2026 water-quality report from the Texas Produced Water Consortium at Texas Tech University, a research collaboration that brings together stakeholders from agriculture, environmental organizations, industry, public health and regulatory agencies. Consortium researchers evaluated water quality from pilot treatment projects conducted in 2024 and 2025 and found that advanced treatment can substantially reduce salinity and other contaminants in produced water, the release said. Treated samples also reportedly met Texas Commission on Environmental Quality drinking water limits for nearly all comparable water quality parameters, according to the agency.
“Texans deserve both water and energy abundance,” Christian said. The commissioner also said in the release that treated produced water reuse has faced strong opposition and argued that the research shows it is safe for industrial use.
The Railroad Commission, established in 1891, is the state’s oldest regulatory agency and has jurisdiction over the oil and gas industry, alternative fuels safety, natural gas utilities, surface mining and intrastate pipelines, the agency said. Christian’s call sets up a policy discussion ahead of the coming legislative session, where he said any remaining regulatory gaps should be addressed.