Indirect Potable Reuse With UV-Oxidation - Big Spring, Texas (Case Study)

In an effort to reduce reliance on dwindling surface and groundwater supplies in Texas, the Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD) constructed a new Raw Water Production Facility (RWPF) in Big Spring. Big Spring is a 27,000-member community located in West Texas approximately 300 miles west of Dallas. This RWPF treats secondary wastewater to a standard that allows it to be re-introduced directly into the raw water supply for the water treatment plants of Big Spring, Odessa, and other communities in the region.

Treatment at the RWPF utilizes a multiple-barrier approach consisting of microfiltration and reverse osmosis (RO), followed by UV-oxidation for the further removal of organic contaminants and final disinfection. The result is advanced-treated, “synthesized” raw water capable of being combined with the “natural” surface raw water from the E.V. Spence Reservoir or other system supplies. The combined raw water supply from the production facility and reservoirs is then delivered to the drinking water treatment plant of Big Spring as well as those of the neighboring communities of Stanton, Midland and Odessa for further treatment and distribution.