GRANDFALLS, Texas — The name of this city in far West Texas, surrounded by scrub desert and pump jacks, may seem like a misnomer.
But nearly 100 years ago, when settlers came to the area, the roar of the Pecos River could be heard from the tiny town a few miles away. Since then, the river has turned into a whisper of its former self, in some places forming only puddles.
That could soon change.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is considering whether to grant permits that would allow three companies to discharge recycled fracking wastewater into the Pecos River, sparking concerns from environmental groups. The projects, if approved, would include the first of what could be many plants that treat fracked water in the United States’ largest oil-producing region.
