2020 Conference

2020 Virtual Conference | Pre-Recorded

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

Series Part 1:

Session 1A: Keynote Presentation
Moderated by: Kyle Frazier, Executive Director, Texas Desalination Association

Introducing Your NAWI Energy-Water Desalination Hub
Dr. Peter Fiske, Executive Director, NAWI

Session 1B: Cost Matters: Analyzing Affordable Desal from a Utility Managers’ Perspective
Moderated by: Paul Choules, CEO, Water Cycle LLC

Presentations and Panel Discussion
Presenters/Panelists:
- North Alamo Water Supply Corporation
  Steven Sanchez, General Manager, North Alamo Water Supply Corporation
- Southmost Regional Water Authority
  Jose Armando Garza, Water Treatment Manager, Brownsville Public Utilities Board
- SAWS Brackish Desal Facility
  Darren Thompson, Director-Water Resources
  Roger Placencia, Director – Production and Treatment, San Antonio Water System
- The Future of Desal – Gulf Coast Water Authority
  Brandon Wade, MPA, PE, General Manager/CEO, Gulf Coast Water Authority

Series Part 2:

Session 2A: University Research & Development Projects jointly presented by Professors/Students
Co-Moderators: Holly Churman, Water Business Group Leader, GHD Services, Inc.
& Malynda Cappelle, PhD, Associate Director, The University of Texas at El Paso

Innovations in Solar-Powered Electrodialysis Desalination System Design & Operation
Presented by: Amos Winter, Associate Professor, MIT
& Grace Connors, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT
Development of Nontraditional Water Supplies: Innovative Technologies for Water Reuse and Desalination Environmental
Presented by: Pei Xu, PhD, Professor, New Mexico State University
Bench and Pilot-Testing of Selective Electrodialysis for Treating Reclaimed Water, Brackish Water, and RO Concentrate
Presented by: Xuesong Xu, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, New Mexico State University
Developing Energy Efficient, Anti-fouling Ion-Exchange Membranes Using Polymers and Nano-Materials
Presented by: Guanyu Ma, Graduate Student, New Mexico State University
Innovative Algal/Membrane Hybrid System for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Potable Water Recovery
Presented by: Chathurika Bandara, PhD Student, New Mexico State University
Solar Desalination for Produced Water Treatment Using Low Cost and High Efficiency Carbon Black Based Evaporator (CAPER)
Presented by: Lin Chen, PhD Student, New Mexico State University

Evaluation of Electrodialysis Desalination Performance of Novel Bioinspired and Conventional Ion Exchange Membranes With NaCl Feed Solution
Presented by: A.H.M. Golam Hyder, Assistant Instructor, The University of Texas at El Paso
Desalination Research in the Desert
Presented by: Malynda Cappelle, PhD, Associate Director, The University of Texas at El Paso

Series Part 3:

Session 3A: New Technologies in Desalination: Your Tax Dollars at Work
Moderated by: Adam Taylor, Vice President, Project Development, Invenergy Clean Water, LLC

Presentations and Panel Discussion
Presenters/Panelists:
- Desalination Technologies in Use by NASA
  Layne Carter, ISS Water Subsystem Manager, NASA
- Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power and Desalination
  Avi Shultz, Program Manager, Department of Energy
- New Technologies in Desalination: Your Tax Dollars at Work
  Yuliana Porras-Mendoza, Advanced Water Treatment Research Coordinator, Bureau of Reclamation

Session 3B: Leaders in Desal: Discussion on Issues Impacting Desalination including COVID-19
Moderated by: Tom Pankratz, Editor, Water Desalination Report

Panel Discussion
Panelists:
Kyle Frazier, Executive Director, Texas Desalination Association
Wendy Ridderbusch, Executive Director, CalDesal
Mike Hightower, Executive Director, New Mexico Desal
Christopher Gasson, Owner, Global Water Intelligence (GWI)

Series Part 4:

Session 4A: Legislative/Regulatory Update
Moderated by: Steven Walden, Principal, Steven Walden Consulting

Legislative/Regulatory Update
Presented by: Justin Sutherland, Principal Technologist, PhD, PE, Carollo Engineers, Inc.

Session 4B: Produced Water to Tap: Is This Real?
Moderated by: Steven Walden, Principal, Steven Walden Consulting

Beneficial Reuse of Produced Water
Presented by: Bridget Scanlon, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Bureau of Economic Geology
Industrial Desalination of Produced Water
Presented by: Mike Hightower, PhD, Program Director, New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium
Regulatory Oversight of Produced Water
Presented by: Earl Lott, Deputy Director – Office of Water, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
& Laurie Fleet, Program Specialist, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Marcellus Produced Water: Unlocking Valuable Natural Resources from Oil Field Waste
Presented by: Chris Frantz, Chief Commercial Officer/Chief Financial Officer, Eureka Resources
2020 Ector County Utility District Produced to Drinking Water -The Story Begins
Presented by: Tommy Ervin, President, Ector County Utility District
Is The Water Safe…And How Can We Know? An Example Project
Presented by: Dr. Taimur Shaikh, PhD, Senior Policy Advisor – Energy, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Series Part 5:

Session 5A: Cinco Ranch Project Interactive Discussion
Moderated by: Bill Norris, President, NorrisLeal, LLC

Panel Discussion
Panelists:
G. Tim Lawrence, President, Cinco Municipal Utility District No.1
Steve Robinson, Partner, Allen, Boone, Humphries, Robinson, LLP
Larry Mueller PE, Principal, BGE, Inc.
Mike Turco, General Manager, Fort Bend Subsidence District

Session 5B: Project Procurement Alternatives
Moderated by: Jorge Arroyo, PE, Engineer VII, Freese and Nichols, Inc.

Procurement and Delivery Approaches for Desalination Projects
Presented by: Doug Herbst, DBIA, Collaborative Project Delivery Manager, Freese and Nichols, Inc.
Public-Private Partnerships (P3) 101
Presented by: Michael Irlbeck, Director, Business Development, EPCOR USA, Inc.
Project Delivery – SW Desalination Plants
Presented by: Neil Callahan, Director, WSP USA Inc.
Corpus Christi Seawater Desalination Project Development
Presented by: Esteban (Steve) Ramos, Water Resource Manager, City of Corpus Christi

Series Part 6:

Session 6A: Keynote Presentation
Moderated by: Yuliana Porras-Mendoza, Advanced Water Treatment Coordinator, Bureau of Reclamation

Keynote Presenter: Brenda Burman, Bureau of Reclamation
Q&A and Discussion on Local Stakeholder Engagement
Collins Balcombe, Supervisory Programs Coordinator, Bureau of Reclamation

Session 6B: Interview with Legislator
Moderated by: Kyle Frazier, Executive Director, Texas Desalination Association