About the Texas Water Institute

The Texas Water Institute brings together the expertise and research efforts of four Texas Tech water centers: Center for Water Law & Policy, Davis College Water Center, Texas Produced Water Consortium and Water and the Environment Research (WATER) Center.

By focusing on the needs of our regional and state communities, these centers are conducting research and making discoveries that can be translated to regions with similar environments across the globe. 

Current Water Research

Center for Water Law & Policy

Texas Tech Center for Water Law & Policy is working to secure current water resources for the future by utilizing law, science, and economics to solve water problems in ways that respect all use sectors while protecting the environment.

Through partnerships with government entities, non-profits and other Texas Tech departments, students are provided opportunities to craft practical legal and policy solutions to natural resource challenges. 

As a part of preparing future leaders in water policy, the Texas Tech School of Law established a Water Law Concentration that gives students experiential learning opportunities and a broader understanding of laws and policies that impact water resources. 

Davis College Water Center

Davis College Water Center recognizes the key role of water in sustaining the livelihood of humanity and the health of natural resources in the semiarid region of West Texas. The Davis College Water Center is an interdisciplinary research center in the Texas Tech Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources. Affiliated faculty's research, education and engagement activities address a wide spectrum of water issues pertaining to agriculture and the environment. 

Water Center activities impact decisions made by landowners, business managers, and policy-makers that lead to sustainable supplies and quality of water. Current research activities include:

• Water use and conservation in crop, soil and animal sciences
• Native wildlife and rangeland ecology
• Horticulture
• Urban land use

Texas Produced Water Consortium

The Texas Produced Water Consortium (TXPWC) was established in 2021 by Senate Bill 601 with the purpose of bringing together information and resources to study the economics and technologies related to beneficial uses of produced water, including environmental and public health considerations. Texas Tech University, in coordination with the Government Agency Advisory Council and the Stakeholder Advisory Council, serves as administrative oversight for TXPWC.

Research by the TXPWC is used to:

• Develop an economic model for using produced water in a way that is economic and efficient while protecting public health and the environment
• Provide guidance for establishing produced water permitting and testing standards
• Suggest changes to law and administrative rules to better enable the use of produced water

Water and the Environment Research (WATER) Center

Established in 1965, the WATER Center has nearly 60 years of experience conducting basic and applied research into concerns around water availability and quality in the Southern High Plains. 

Current research focuses include:

• The food-energy-water nexus
• Water reuse in hydraulic fracturing
• Emerging contaminants
• Environmental applications of nano-materials