Many of the solutions are costly, putting them out of reach for small towns. But the region's most populous cities are getting innovative.
A crew works on upgrading pipes and valves at a North Alamo Water Supply Corporation water plant in Donna on Thursday. In order to increase the amount of water the plant is able to distribute, pipes were upgraded, replaced and connected to the plants existing facility with the newly expanded infrastructure.— a weekly dispatch about the people, places and policies defining Texas, produced by Texas Tribune journalists living in communities across the state.
This risk has prompted a growing interest among water districts, water corporations and public utilities that supply water to residents across the Valley to look elsewhere for their water needs. But for several small, rural communities that make up a large portion of the Valley, investing millions into upgrading their water treatment methods may still be out of reach.
The Falcon and Amistad International reservoirs feed water directly into the Rio Grande. And while water levels have been low, cities and public utilities have instituted water restrictions that limit when residents can use sprinkler systems and prohibits the washing of paved areas. This relationship with the agriculture industry arose because irrigation districts were created here first. Cities came after and because they used less water, they were set up to depend on irrigation districts.
Jim Darling, chair of the Rio Grande Regional Water Planning Group and former McAllen mayor, points at rivers and tributaries shown on a map at the South McAllen Water Plant, in McAllen, on Monday.Darling has been floating the idea of creating a water bank of push water so that water districts can get by without having to go through the process of obtaining approval from the state for more water.
Filtered groundwater is desalinated through reverse osmosis at the Southmost Regional Water Authority brackish groundwater treatment facility in Brownsville on Monday. The facility treats water to distribute to its five partners, including the Brownsville Public Utilities Board, its main customer and is seeking funding to expand the facility in order to address the region’s drought and water shortage.After the drought in 1998, North Alamo turned to reverse osmosis in the early 2000s.
In April, county officials touted a proposed regional water supply project, dubbed the Delta Water Reclamation Project, that would capture and treat stormwater to be used as drinking water. County leaders made the case for their project before a Texas Senate committee hearing in May on water and agriculture, requesting that legislative leaders direct the water development board to give a higher consideration to projects like theirs or to provide a grant program their project would qualify for.
Representatives for both entities said the salinity of the concentrate is less than the salinity of the bodies of water that are receiving that discharge. This wasn't always the case, he said, but the high cost of chemicals is driven up the cost in treating surface water. But where surface water treatment is cheaper is in the initial cost to establish it.
This will be additional state funding to help rural communities with technical assistance on how to decide what kind of design and what kind of assistance is best for their community. This will help them navigate the process of applying for funding.
Environment Groundwater Water Supply Texas Water Development Board Edinburg Mcallen Cameron County Hidalgo County South Texas Rio Grande Valley Texas Legislature
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Overheard at SEC Media Days: Texas, Texas, Texas, TexasThe marriage between two of college sports’ biggest brands has officially begun.
Read more »
U.S. Supreme Court blocks Texas-New Mexico Rio Grande water dealWater law experts say the court’s recent decision will set a precedent for the federal government to intervene in water conflicts between states moving forward.
Read more »
Feds notch win as Supreme Court denies Rio Grande deal sought by Texas, New MexicoThe Supreme Court rejected a motion Friday by Texas and New Mexico to settle a long-running dispute over Rio Grande water management, ruling that the states can act only with the backing of the federal government.
Read more »
North Texas firefighters head south with Beryl approaching Texas coastA 7-man team, including four firefighters from Cedar Hill, two from Duncanville and one from DeSoto are staged in San Antonio right now, waiting to see where they need to go once Beryl makes landfall.
Read more »
U.S. Supreme Court blocks the state’s Rio Grande water deal with New MexicoWater law experts say the Supreme Court's recent decision will set a precedent for the federal government to intervene in water conflicts between states moving forward.
Read more »
U.S. Supreme Court blocks the state’s Rio Grande water deal with New MexicoWater law experts say the Supreme Court's recent decision will set a precedent for the federal government to intervene in water conflicts between states moving forward.
Read more »