Galveston Bay Foundation Submitted Comments on Proposed Bacliff Desalination Facility

Galveston Bay Foundation, joined by Bayou City Waterkeeper and the Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter, submitted formal comments to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on August 21, 2026, opposing EPCOR’s proposed desalination facility in Bacliff, Texas. 

The comments address TCEQ Permit No. WQ0005502000. The public-comment period for the permit closed on August 23, 2026. You can view those comments HERE.

Concerns

The organizations recognize the growing need for reliable water supplies along the Texas Gulf Coast. However, seawater desalination must be planned, permitted, and operated in a way that protects Galveston Bay’s fisheries, habitats, water quality, and coastal communities.

GBF led the drafting of the coalition letter, which raises concerns about existing modeling and potential effects of brine discharge from the proposed facility into Galveston Bay. Desalination produces a concentrated saltwater byproduct, known as brine. Without adequate management, dilution, monitoring, and safeguards, brine discharge could affect salinity, bay-wide flushing, and water quality.

These changes may pose risks to sensitive estuarine resources, including: oyster reefs, seagrass, marsh habitat, and finfish/shellfish

The broader food web that supports Galveston Bay’s ecological and economic value

Galveston Bay already faces ongoing pressures from development, pollution, altered freshwater inflows, and extreme weather. The coalition’s comments emphasized the need for TCEQ to fully evaluate both the project-specific consequences of desalination development within the Bay.

Offshore Alternatives

Galveston Bay Foundation’s position is that desalination intake and discharge infrastructure should be located offshore rather than within Galveston Bay whenever feasible.

Offshore siting can help avoid concentrating operational impacts in an enclosed, ecologically productive estuary. The comments urged TCEQ to carefully assess whether offshore intake and discharge alternatives were sufficiently evaluated before acting on the proposed permit.

Next Steps

Although the initial public-comment period has closed, Galveston Bay Foundation will continue to closely monitor the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s review of Permit No. WQ0005502000 and advocate for a decision that protects Galveston Bay, its fisheries and wildlife, and the communities that depend on this vital resource.

Before making a final decision on the permit, TCEQ must review and respond to the timely, relevant public comments it received. Those responses, along with the agency’s subsequent decision, will help clarify how TCEQ evaluated concerns related to water quality, marine life, public health, and the potential cumulative effects of the proposed discharge on Galveston Bay.

If TCEQ issues a decision to grant the permit, there will be another opportunity for public participation. At that stage, affected persons may be able to submit comments on the agency’s decision and request a contested case hearing. A contested case hearing is a formal legal process in which eligible parties can challenge disputed issues of fact and present evidence before an administrative law judge.

GBF will keep the public informed as the permitting process moves forward. If necessary, we will also evaluate all available options, including whether to seek a contested case hearing, to ensure the proposed project receives the thorough scrutiny required to safeguard the Bay and the people, businesses, and ecosystems it supports.