The Railroad Commission has created a framework for a pilot program to recycle produced water. Operators will apply for authorization to conduct pilot studies, and RRC will issue a permit or letter of authorization. The aim is to reduce the amount of produced water that gets injected back into the ground. The Commission will focus attention on the effectiveness of treatment technologies and examine proper methods for gathering, storing, treating, testing, and documenting how treated water quality evolves and is controlled in each pilot facility. Treated fluid will not be allowed to be discharged to surface water during the pilot studies. The produced water recycling framework is a starting point and will evolve over time. The information obtained by these pilot studies can be used to develop more focused regulation on produced water recycling and help guide future legislation. A copy of the framework can be found here.