Alternative waters are waters of marginal quality and not ready for use, including brackish and produced waters. Alternative waters represent important new water sources for sustainable water supplies in New Mexico and the western US where water scarcity is pervasive. Efficiently and sustainably making use of alternative waters requires: new treatment technology; new methods to dispose of concentrate; improved assessment of the quality and quantity of source waters; and tools to show how all of these approaches can be combined into effective new integrated systems. The work to be performed under this cooperative agreement is the continuation of research efforts specifically authorized by Congress. In 2008 and 2009, the U.S. Congress authorized and appropriated funds specifically for New Mexico State University (through Reclamation) to better treat and use marginal quality waters, with efforts to include the use of the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF) located in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The initial Federal funds to be obligated for this agreement are unspent Federal funds from the original 5 year cooperative agreement which ended on September 30, 2015. The objective of this cooperative agreement is to further research in the development and use of alternative waters, including the: â₏¢augmentation of water supplies; â₏¢reduction of environmental impacts; â₏¢encouragement of commercialization of treatment technologies; and â₏¢utilization of the BGNDRF. Research results will be disseminated and made publically available through final reports and scientific publications.