WT launches first major PIER project to expand water supplies for Panhandle agriculture

West Texas A&M University’s newly launched Panhandle Institute for Engineering Research (PIER) is moving ahead with its first major initiative: developing mobile desalination units designed to convert brackish groundwater into usable water for farms, ranches, and livestock operations across the Texas Panhandle.

The effort received a significant boost after U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson helped secure $2 million in federal funding through the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture Appropriations Bill. The investment will support WT’s College of Engineering as it builds portable systems capable of treating brackish water from the Dockum Aquifer—an increasingly important but underutilized resource in the region. Once operational, the units will be transported directly to dairies and concentrated animal feeding operations so producers can evaluate how treated Dockum water performs under real conditions.

University officials describe the project as a practical, engineering-driven response to one of the Panhandle’s most persistent challenges: ensuring stable water supplies in a region heavily dependent on agriculture. By processing water on-site, the project aims to give producers clearer options for long-term water planning, especially as traditional water sources face mounting pressure.

PIER itself is a new addition to WT’s research landscape. It was formally approved by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Nov. 13 and created through an anonymous $5 million gift—the largest in the history of WT’s College of Engineering. That donation also pushed the university’s One West fundraising campaign past its $175 million goal. University leaders say the institute will serve as a hub for research that directly benefits Panhandle communities and supports WT’s larger push to strengthen its role as a Regional Research University.

Administrators note that PIER will focus on projects at the intersection of energy, water, and industry, with an emphasis on work that supports local needs while contributing to broader engineering advancements. They view the institute as a catalyst for interdisciplinary collaboration, expanded research capacity, and new opportunities for students to engage in applied problem-solving.

The timing aligns with WT’s growing emphasis on research. In April, the university achieved a Research College and University classification from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, recognizing the institution’s increasing investment in research infrastructure. University officials have set their sights on attaining Carnegie R2 status by 2026, a goal they argue is supported by major gifts and federal funding like that tied to the desalination project.

Engineering research at WT has surged in recent years. Since 2020, research funding within the College of Engineering has grown by more than 100 percent, new research awards have more than doubled, and research grant activity has increased dramatically. Enrollment in the college has risen as well, reflecting expanded programs in mechanical, civil, electrical, and environmental engineering, along with engineering technology, mathematics, and computer science.

In addition to the desalination funding, Rep. Jackson also secured $1 million for the WTAMU Foundation Research Feedlot and the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation Feedlot Education Facility. Groundbreaking for the new feedlot facility took place Nov. 10, underscoring the university’s continued focus on research tied to the region’s agricultural economy.

With PIER now formally established and its first major project underway, WT leaders say they expect the institute to play a substantial role in shaping how the region confronts long-term resource challenges—beginning with water, the most pressing concern for producers across the Panhandle.