14. Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation

On January 7, 2026, WaterBridge Texas Operating LLC (“WBTO”), a subsidiary of the Company, received an enforcement action from the Railroad Commission of Texas (“RRC”) seeking reimbursement of approximately $6.9 million in expenses incurred by the RRC in connection with the plugging of an orphan well located in proximity to a produced water handling facility operated by WBTO. WBTO filed its response on February 6, 2026 and requested a hearing on the merits. As of March 13, 2026, a hearing date had not been set. While we cannot predict the outcome of this matter, we believe the action is without merit and timing of resolution is uncertain. As of December 31, 2025, the Company has no amounts accrued related to this matter.

 

The Company records liabilities related to litigation and other legal proceedings when they are either known or considered probable and can be reasonably estimated. Legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties, and significant judgment is required to determine both probability and the estimated amount. As any new information becomes available, the Company reassesses the potential liability related to pending litigation. While the results of these litigation matters and claims cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe the reasonably possible losses from such matters, individually and in the aggregate, are not material. Additionally, we believe the probable final outcome of such matters will not have a material impact on our operating results, financial position or cash flows.

Other Commitments

We are party to various surface use and right of way agreements by which we have committed to make minimum royalty payments in exchange for rights to access and use the land for purposes that are generally limited to conducting our water operations. These agreements do not meet the definition of a lease under ASC 842, Leases, and are generally up to a ten-year term.

We are party to various power purchase agreements to manage volatility of the price of power needed for ongoing operations. We have elected the normal purchase and normal sale accounting treatment for these contracts to the extent that they meet the definition of a derivative and therefore, record the purchase at the contracted value as delivery occurs. The contracts are generally up to a three-year term.

The table below provides estimates of the timing of future payments that we are contractually obligated to make based on agreements in place as of December 31, 2025. These contracts are not included on the balance sheet as of December 31, 2025.

 

As of December 31,

 

 

 

2026

 

 

2027

 

 

2028

 

 

2029

 

 

2030

 

 

Thereafter

 

 

Total

 

Purchase obligations

 

$

2,286

 

 

$

2,192

 

 

$

39

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

4,517

 

Power purchase agreements

 

 

5,882

 

 

 

5,882

 

 

 

1,274

 

 

 

425

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

13,463

 

Royalty payment obligations & other

 

 

5,477

 

 

 

3,409

 

 

 

794

 

 

 

569

 

 

 

481

 

 

 

1,503

 

 

 

12,233

 

Total

 

$

13,645

 

 

$

11,483

 

 

$

2,107

 

 

$

994

 

 

$

481

 

 

$

1,503

 

 

$

30,213

 

 

The Company’s actual costs for these contracts may be higher than these estimated minimum unconditional long-term firm commitments depending on volumetric variability of actual quantities and services consumed as well as variable pricing components inherent within the contracts. Any variable components are included in total actual costs incurred. For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 the actual costs of these contracts were $24.0 million, $8.2 million, and $3.2 million respectively.

About Commitments Disclosures

Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.

Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.