A West Texas county suffering from drought is getting $2.8 million to use wind power to make brackish groundwater drinkable.

The Texas Department of Rural Affairs on Tuesday announced the grant for a new Mitchell County desalination plant.

The $8 million project is meant to produce up to 750,000 gallons a day for Colorado City, which faces water shortages. Seven wells will be part of the desalination facility to be built on county land.

Three 500-kilowatt turbines by General Dynamics will provide about 40 percent of the electricity needed to run the unit. That power will be donated, while Mitchell County will pay the rest of the cost.

General Dynamics and the National Institute for Renewable Energy
in Lubbock received federal money to develop turbines for the project.