Select Water Solutions LLC has submitted a new air permit application to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for its Breakwater Big Spring Recycling System, a major produced water recycling facility serving operators in the Midland Basin portion of the Permian Basin.
The facility is located near Big Spring in Howard County, Texas, one of the most active drilling regions in the Midland Basin. The project highlights the growing importance of produced water recycling infrastructure as operators continue to expand development programs across West Texas.
Overview of the Breakwater Big Spring Recycling System
The Breakwater Big Spring Recycling System (BSRS) is a centralized produced water recycling facility designed to collect, treat, and redistribute water generated during oil and gas production.
Produced water is the largest waste stream associated with unconventional oil and gas development. In the Permian Basin, operators generate millions of barrels of produced water per day during drilling and completion operations.
Facilities like the Breakwater Big Spring system allow operators to:
• Collect produced water from multiple lease sites
• Treat the water to remove contaminants
• Recycle it for reuse in hydraulic fracturing operations
• Reduce the need for freshwater and disposal wells
The facility functions as a regional water management hub, receiving produced water through pipeline networks and redistributing treated water to drilling and completion sites throughout the Midland Basin.
Facility Details
Operator: Select Water Solutions, LLC
Facility: Breakwater Big Spring Recycling System
Location: Howard County, Texas (Big Spring area)
Region: TCEQ Region 7 – Midland
Water recycling systems like this are becoming essential infrastructure in the Permian Basin as operators attempt to reduce both water sourcing costs and disposal volumes.
New Air Permit Filed with TCEQ
On March 2, 2026, Select Water Solutions submitted an initial standard permit registration for the facility with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Permit Summary
Permit Number: 183175
Permit Type: Standard Permit (Oil & Gas Production Facilities)
Project Name: Breakwater Big Spring Recycling System
Status: Pending
Key Dates
Application received: March 2, 2026
Project assigned to engineer: March 3, 2026
Initial engineering review completed: March 4, 2026
Deficiency cycle initiated: March 5–6, 2026
Assigned reviewers:
Review Engineer: Hung Chau
Peer Reviewer: Joshua Wheatley
The permit was filed under TCEQ Rule 116.620 – Standard Permit for Oil and Gas Production Facilities, which governs emissions from common oilfield equipment such as:
• storage tanks
• water treatment equipment
• pumps and separators
• heaters or flares
• loading and transfer equipment
Produced water recycling facilities can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during water handling and treatment, making air permitting an important regulatory step for projects of this scale.
Howard County Drilling Operators
The Breakwater Big Spring Recycling System supports drilling activity from operators active in Howard County, one of the core development areas in the Midland Basin.
Below are the steady-state operators currently active in the county.
Operator Rig Count Wells Drilled 2026 Wells Drilled 2025 Permits Last 12 Months Permits Last 60 Days OXY USA Inc. 1 5 62 19 0 Surge Energy America 0 1 32 11 2 HighPeak Energy, Inc. 1 4 14 26 0 Ovintiv USA 1 5 11 0 0 Diamondback Energy, Inc. 2 6 9 16 8 Langford & Brigham Operating LLC 1 2 2 3 2
These operators represent a mix of large Permian independents and mid-size Midland Basin players, many of which rely heavily on water recycling to support completion programs.
For example:
• Diamondback Energy is one of the most active operators in the Midland Basin.
• OXY (Occidental) continues to operate large development programs across West Texas.
• HighPeak Energy has expanded drilling activity in Howard County in recent years.
As drilling programs scale up, so does the demand for water management infrastructure.
Why Produced Water Recycling Systems Matter
Water management has become one of the biggest operational challenges in the Permian Basin.
A single horizontal well can require 500,000 to 1,000,000 barrels of water during hydraulic fracturing operations. At the same time, each well produces large volumes of produced water over its life cycle.
Centralized recycling facilities like the Breakwater Big Spring system provide several benefits:
Reduced Freshwater Demand
Recycling produced water allows operators to reduce freshwater usage in a region where water availability can be limited.
Lower Disposal Volumes
Recycling reduces the amount of water sent to saltwater disposal wells, which have been linked to induced seismicity in parts of West Texas.
Lower Operating Costs
Pipeline-based water systems reduce trucking costs and improve operational efficiency for drilling and completion programs.
Infrastructure for Large Drilling Programs
Multi-operator recycling hubs enable large completion campaigns by ensuring reliable water supply across multiple drilling pads.
Outlook for Water Infrastructure in the Midland Basin
As drilling activity continues in Howard County and across the Midland Basin, the demand for produced water recycling infrastructure will likely continue to grow.
Projects like the Breakwater Big Spring Recycling System demonstrate how water midstream infrastructure is evolving alongside shale development. By enabling large-scale recycling and distribution of produced water, facilities like this play a key role in supporting the next phase of Permian Basin growth.
With the air permit now under review, the project represents another step toward expanding the region’s integrated water management network.
