Protect Texas Groundwater Now: The Hidden Danger of Hydrogen Production

Texas stands at a critical crossroads. While our state embraces innovation and energy development, we face an unprecedented threat to our most precious natural resource: groundwater. The rapid expansion of hydrogen production facilities across the state threatens to drain our aquifers at an alarming rate, with potentially irreversible consequences for Texas residents, farmers, and businesses who depend on this vital resource.

As concerned Texans, we must act now to protect our groundwater from being permanently removed from our hydrologic cycle. This isn't just an environmental issue—it's about preserving our way of life, our economic future, and the health of our communities for generations to come.

The Hydrogen Production Boom: A Double-Edged Sword

Hydrogen is being hailed as the next clean energy frontier, with billions of federal dollars flowing into Texas to support its development. On the surface, this seems like economic progress. However, the process of producing hydrogen through electrolysis permanently destroys water molecules, effectively removing this water from our ecosystem forever.

The Texas Hydrogen Production Policy Council estimates that by 2050, hydrogen production facilities in Texas could consume between 92 to 173 million gallons of water per day. Let that sink in—that's equivalent to the water usage of several major Texas cities combined, day after day, year after year, with the water never returning to our aquifers.

This isn't sustainable, especially in a state where groundwater already provides more than 60% of our annual water supplies and faces increasing pressure from population growth, agriculture, and existing industrial demands.

Why Texas Groundwater Is Already Under Threat

Texas groundwater is not an infinite resource. In many parts of our state, particularly West Texas where numerous hydrogen facilities are being proposed, groundwater is the only available source of water. Our local Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) work diligently to manage these resources, establishing Desired Future Conditions and utilizing Modeled Available Groundwater (MAG) calculations to ensure long-term viability.

The harsh reality is that many GCDs are already permitting water usage up to—and sometimes beyond—their sustainable limits. Adding massive hydrogen production facilities to the mix could push our aquifers past the breaking point, affecting:

• Rural communities that rely exclusively on groundwater

• Agricultural operations that feed our state and nation

• Existing businesses that depend on stable water supplies

• Future generations who deserve access to this vital resource

The Scientific Reality: Water Destroyed, Not Just Used

What makes hydrogen production uniquely concerning is that it doesn't merely use water—it chemically destroys it. Through electrolysis, water molecules (H₂O) are split into hydrogen gas (H₂) and oxygen (O₂). The hydrogen is captured for energy production, while the molecular structure of the original water is permanently broken down.

This is fundamentally different from most other industrial water uses where the water is eventually returned to the environment through treatment facilities or natural processes. With hydrogen production, the water is gone forever—removed from the hydrologic cycle that sustains our rivers, lakes, and aquifers.

The Legal Loophole Threatening Our Water Security

Under current Texas law, there's a dangerous oversight. Groundwater Conservation Districts are required to issue permits for hydrogen production operations, even when they recognize the potential harm to local water resources. This is because hydrogen production isn't explicitly addressed in Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code, which governs groundwater management.

This legal loophole could allow hydrogen producers to deplete our aquifers with limited oversight or accountability. The situation is particularly alarming because many hydrogen facilities are being planned in regions where water is already scarce and where local communities depend entirely on groundwater for their survival.

The West Texas Warning: Communities Already Feeling the Impact

In West Texas counties where hydrogen production facilities have been proposed, landowners are raising the alarm. These rural communities understand the precious nature of their groundwater resources and the existential threat that large-scale water-intensive industries pose.

For many of these communities, the mathematics is simple and stark: their aquifers recharge at specific rates, they have calculated how much water can be sustainably extracted, and the proposed hydrogen facilities would demand water far beyond those sustainable limits. Once an aquifer is depleted, it can take decades or even centuries to recover—if it can recover at all.

The Economic False Promise

Proponents of hydrogen production tout the economic benefits: jobs, tax revenue, and energy independence. While these are valuable goals, they present a false choice between economic development and water security.

The reality is that without sustainable water resources, there can be no long-term economic prosperity in Texas. Water is the foundation upon which all other development depends. A short-term boom in hydrogen production that depletes our aquifers would lead to long-term economic devastation for communities across the state.

Three Critical Legislative Solutions

The Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts has identified three key legislative solutions that would protect our groundwater while still allowing for responsible energy development:

1. Prohibit the use of fresh groundwater for hydrogen production and require alternative water sources, including:

   • Brackish groundwater not hydrologically connected to fresh groundwater

   • Seawater

   • Reuse water

   • Produced water

2. Expressly exclude hydrogen production as an authorized beneficial use for groundwater in Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code.

3. Define the destruction of water molecules for hydrogen production as waste in Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code.

These targeted legislative changes would ensure that hydrogen production can proceed using appropriate water sources without threatening our limited fresh groundwater supplies.

Why Alternative Water Sources Make Sense

The good news is that hydrogen production doesn't necessarily require fresh groundwater. There are viable alternatives that can support this industry without jeopardizing our most precious water resources:

Brackish groundwater exists in many parts of Texas and contains too much salt for drinking or agriculture without treatment. Using this resource, when not hydrologically connected to fresh groundwater, offers a solution that preserves our drinking water supplies.

Seawater is abundant along the Texas Gulf Coast and could support hydrogen facilities in these regions without impacting inland freshwater resources.

Reuse water from municipal or industrial sources provides another sustainable option that actually helps close the water cycle rather than disrupting it.

Produced water from oil and gas operations is currently treated as a waste product but could be repurposed for hydrogen production, creating a beneficial use for what is otherwise a disposal challenge.

The Urgency of Immediate Action

The time to act is now. With billions in federal incentives spurring rapid development, hydrogen production facilities are being planned and permitted across Texas at this very moment. Each facility that begins operation using fresh groundwater represents decades of potential aquifer depletion.

We cannot afford a wait-and-see approach. By the time the impacts become visible to everyone, it may be too late for many communities and ecosystems. Preventative policy is far more effective and economical than trying to restore depleted aquifers or relocate communities that have lost their water supply.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hydrogen Production and Groundwater

Isn't hydrogen a clean energy source that we should support?

Hydrogen itself can be a clean energy carrier, but the method of production matters. While hydrogen produces only water when used, the process of creating it through electrolysis permanently destroys water molecules. We can support hydrogen development while insisting on responsible water sourcing.

Won't technological advances reduce the water needed for hydrogen production?

While efficiency improvements are possible, the fundamental chemistry remains unchanged: producing hydrogen through electrolysis requires breaking down water molecules. Even with perfect efficiency, the water is still permanently removed from the hydrologic cycle.

How much water does hydrogen production really use?

According to the Texas Hydrogen Production Policy Council, hydrogen production could require between 92 to 173 million gallons of water per day in Texas by 2050. To put this in perspective, that's roughly equivalent to the daily water use of 1-2 million Texas residents.

Aren't Groundwater Conservation Districts already protecting our water?

GCDs work hard to manage our groundwater resources, but current law requires them to issue permits for hydrogen production. Without legislative changes, they may be forced to approve permits that they know could harm local aquifers and existing water users.

Would the proposed legislative solutions stop hydrogen production in Texas?

No. These solutions would simply require hydrogen producers to use alternative water sources instead of fresh groundwater. This approach protects our most precious water resources while still allowing hydrogen development to proceed using more appropriate water supplies.

Stay Informed and Connected

The fight to protect Texas groundwater requires ongoing vigilance and community engagement. To stay updated on this critical issue and other water conservation efforts across Texas, connect with the Edwards Plateau Alliance:

• Website: Edwards Plateau Alliance

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• X/Twitter: Follow us @EdwardsAlliance

By following the Edwards Plateau Alliance on social media, you'll receive timely updates on legislative developments, community events, and additional ways to get involved in protecting Texas water resources.

Conclusion: The Time to Act Is Now

Texas stands at a pivotal moment in our water history. The decisions we make today about hydrogen production will reverberate for generations to come. Once our fresh groundwater is depleted, there's no easy way to bring it back.

The good news is that we have clear, practical solutions available. By prohibiting the use of fresh groundwater for hydrogen production, explicitly excluding it as a beneficial use in our water code, and classifying the destruction of water molecules as waste, we can protect our most precious resource while still supporting energy innovation.

Your children, grandchildren, and fellow Texans are counting on you. The future of Texas water security is quite literally in your hands, and taking action has never been easier.

The time for protecting Texas groundwater is not tomorrow—it's today.