EPWU, UTEP to Partner in Desalination Research

EPWU President and CEO Ed Archuleta, UTEP President Diana Natalicio, Public Service Board members and UTEP staff

The Public Service Board and the University of Texas at El Paso have formed a partnership to develop the Center for Inland Desalination Systems. The Center will research methods of improving the desalination process by increasing efficiency and reducing operating and energy costs.

The five-year agreement approved by the Board includes creation of a Center for Excellence in research, education and outreach related to water resource management and inland desalination. The Center will also provide training to water professionals around the globe.

The research will be funded by a $2 million grant from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund and $2 million from UTEP and the University of Texas System. El Paso Water Utilities will provide office and research space at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant, including an outside pad for large-scale research and testing, as well as research opportunities at EPWU treatment facilities.

UTEP President Diana Natalicio described the collaboration as “almost a perfect case study of collaboration between a university and a community.”

She added, “The ultimate beneficiaries are not only going to be the people in this community who get more efficient desalination processes, not only the people for whom this will serve as a model, but our students, because they are the young people who are going to learn about this technology – not only through their classes, but through participating in research projects.”

El Paso Water Utilities, UTEP and researchers will share the royalties from patents awarded as a result of the research.