(The Center Square) – As the water crisis in South Texas and the Coastal Bend regions continue, city governments are issuing disaster declarations and county governments are signing proclamations urging legislative action. And as a desalinization plant stalls in Corpus Christi, plans are in the works for one to be built in the Rio Grande Valley where drought persists and Mexico continues to not comply with a water treaty.
The cities of Alice, Beeville, Orange Grove and Three Rivers have issued disaster declarations citing a water crisis. Multiple counties have passed resolutions calling for legislative action and immediate state oversight of water management, The Center Square exclusively reported.
Alice Mayor Cynthia Carrasco’s disaster declaration states the city is facing a public health and safety emergency due to “experiencing extreme drought conditions resulting in critically low water supply levels; regional water demand is exceeding available supply from existing sources, including surface water and groundwater systems.”
Three Rivers Mayor Felipe Martinez issued a similar disaster declaration, saying it was necessary “to ensure the City has the flexibility to marshal resources and expend funds in the procurement of services and equipment necessary to respond to drought conditions. It also positions the City to pursue and access additional funding for emergency measures related to the drought response.”
The city has issued a series of public notices about water crisis management, including one last month alleging Corpus Christi officials were draining Choke Canyon Reservoir and compounding the city’s water crisis. Corpus officials disagree, arguing they remain committed to regional water supply cooperation.
Orange Grove officials, who’ve also issued a disaster declaration, have made similar allegations and launched an investigation into recent and alarming water table losses, The Center Square reported.
Corpus Christi officials are facing a potential state takeover of their water management after Gov. Greg Abbott questioned city oversight of a looming water shortage. Corpus officials say nearly $1.2 billion in funds is being dedicated to water management. After the city council voted against moving forward on its desalinization plant, it added another $122 million in debt, The Center Square reported.
Last October, Beeville officials issued a disaster declaration and is currently in Stage 4, the highest level of drought response. It’s implemented water restrictions and launched its own emergency groundwater desalination project.
In the Rio Grande Valley, farmers and ranchers continue to face a water crisis due to a prolonged drought. A bigger problem is water drained from the Rio Grande River and shared lakes and reservoirs by Mexico, they argue after Mexico still isn’t complying with a water treaty, The Center Square reported.
While Corpus Christi officials have wavered on their desalinization plans, a $1 billion desalinization plant is planned for South Padre Island. US Desalination LLC and IDE Technologies have created a joint venture to build a 50 million gallon per day seawater plant near Laguna Madre.
“The RGV-Desal facility will draw seawater from the Gulf of Mexico and utilize advanced reverse osmosis technology to produce high-quality potable water at scale,” the companies announced. “The project is structured to serve both public water utilities and industrial users across the RGV, providing a critical supplemental water source alongside the region’s existing water portfolio. With population growth accelerating and traditional water supplies increasingly constrained, the RGV-Desal facility represents a transformational investment in long-term water security for the region.”
Local disaster declarations follow an emergency declaration Abbott issued on March 18 for 125 counties, saying drought conditions pose an imminent threat of disaster.
Nearly half of Texas’ 254 counties are facing extreme drought conditions and an impending water shortage crisis.
Abbott has also encouraged counties and water entities to apply for up to $1 billion worth of water grants and participate in a May 13 webinar. Grant applications are due June 30, The Center Square reported.
