Texas Water Development Board officials have approved up to $300,000 for the city of Seminole's groundwater desalination project.

The project, at a total estimated cost of $1.65 million, involves planning, installing and operating a groundwater desalination facility that uses an aquifer as its source.

Texas Tech University will also contribute $200,000 toward the project.

The planned reverse-osmosis plant will be run on wind power and would be the first project of its kind in the nation to desalinate drinking water for an inland city instead of a coastal town.