image: Conference attendees pose for a group photo (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University).
Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University.
Rice University is fostering sustainable water and energy solutions by convening leaders across industry, policy and research to confront one of the most pressing challenges of our time: water scarcity and resilience.
The Rice WaTER Institute, in partnership with Noverram, hosted the Water Nexus Conference 2025 as part of Houston Energy and Climate Week. Held on Rice’s campus Sept. 16, the event brought together voices from across the ecosystem — researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, end users and policymakers — for a full day of discussions on the future of water. With keynote speakers, technical sessions and solution-driven panels, the program highlighted the urgent need for integrated approaches to ensure safe, reliable and sustainable water systems.
The conference opened with a keynote by Sarah Brody, partner at McKinsey & Co., who underscored the economic and infrastructural realities of water in the U.S. She pointed to the growing funding gap in water infrastructure — projected to swell from $110 billion to $195 billion by 2030 — but stressed that nearly half of this gap could be closed through innovative technologies, capital structuring and operational efficiency. Brody also flagged the water demand of Texas’ rapidly expanding data center industry, noting that 43% to 89% of planned sites in the state are in high water-stress regions, raising critical questions about long-term sustainability.
Rice faculty experts provided an overview of some of the technical innovations being developed on campus. Menachem Elimelech, head of the Rice Center for Membrane Excellence, spoke on advances in membrane-based desalination and wastewater reuse, highlighting how new materials can deliver fresh water more efficiently and with lower energy costs. Michael Wong, a leader of the Rice PFAS Abatement and Replacement Center, tackled one of the most urgent challenges facing the water sector: how to destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS or “forever chemicals”) once removed from water. Qilin Li emphasized the opportunities to recover critical elements such as lithium and rare metals from mining wastewater, geothermal brines and industrial effluents — materials vital for the clean energy transition. Rice WaTER Institute director Pedro Alvarez discussed microbial and catalytic approaches for water purification and resilient infrastructure.
For Eric Willman, executive director of the Rice WaTER Institute, the conference was about breaking silos and ensuring collaboration.
“The mission of the Rice WaTER Institute is to bring different members of the water ecosystem and value chain together to communicate,” Willman said. “Usually, one of the greatest needs when it comes to water and sustainability is partnership and communication. This event gave people the chance to speak in their own language but still find common ground on the issues we all need to solve.”
Those issues spanned the spectrum of water’s role in industry and society. Panels examined produced water — the billions of gallons of briny wastewater generated by oil and gas production that can be up to five times saltier than seawater. Experts discussed the mounting risks this poses for both industry and the environment and potential pathways for treatment and reuse. Sessions on industrial water use highlighted the vulnerability of fast-growing sectors like pharmaceuticals, consumer goods and data centers, where operations depend heavily on reliable water access. Conversations on resiliency and risk assessment brought together stakeholders from municipalities and watersheds, including the Edwards Aquifer, to stress the need for localized approaches to solving scarcity.
James Rees, founder of Noverram and co-facilitator of the conference, emphasized that no single entity can solve these problems alone.
“Water is a difficult problem to solve, whether it’s scarcity, contamination or access,” Rees said. “There’s no silver bullet. You have to collaborate, and you have to talk to people with different skill sets. One of the biggest takeaways was how participants valued not just the technical discussions but also the chance to network and form partnerships that can move solutions forward.”
The urgency is particularly acute in Texas, where the state faces a 290 billion gallon water deficit by 2050 and global demand is outpacing supply by nearly 40%, Rees said.
Willman added that industry water use is expanding three times faster than municipal use, further straining resources.
“We need to find creative solutions for industry in particular to find alternate sources of water, reuse water and make investments to satisfy that growing demand,” Willman said. “The first step is assessing risk locally. Every region and every industry faces different challenges, and we have to build solutions that meet those realities.”
“Without water, you don’t have a business,” Rees added. “The conference underscored that whether you’re an energy company, a tech firm or a municipality, resiliency depends on how we access, treat and reuse water. Rice is helping lead the way by ensuring these conversations happen while advancing solutions through world-class research.”