WESLACO, Texas — A transformative infrastructure initiative in the Rio Grande Valley could rewrite how South Texas manages two of its most pressing challenges: flood control and long-term water scarcity.
Speaking before the Texas House Committee on Natural Resources at Weslaco City Hall on Monday, local officials made a compelling case for the Delta Region Water Management Project, outlining how the multi-million-dollar program turns floodwaters and agricultural runoff into a reliable regional drinking water supply.
Hidalgo County Commissioner David Fuentes told committee members, chaired by State Rep. Cody Harris alongside Vice Chair Rep. Armando "Mando" Martinez, that the project signals a fundamental shift in regional water management.
"Historically, our drainage infrastructure has been viewed primarily as a means of moving excess water away from our communities, and ultimately toward the coast," Fuentes testified. "The Delta Region Water Management Project provides an opportunity to change that approach."
Under Water Use Permit Number 13195—issued to the Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in 2016—the district is authorized to divert and store up to 62,712 acre-feet of water per year (approximately 20.4 billion gallons) from the South Main Drain, North Main Drain, and the Main Floodwater channel.
The project’s initial phase targets a five million gallon-per-day treatment facility utilizing advanced micro-filtration and reverse osmosis technology—enough to supply potable water to roughly 20,000 residents.
Fuentes emphasized that local leaders have taken aggressive steps to move the initiative beyond the drawing board, investing $14.6 million in local funds to date. Local investments have secured:
The Texas Legislature backed the effort by allocating $15 million in rider funding through the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to help propel the project from technical design toward active construction.
"We have committed significant local resources and worked to reduce the technical and regulatory risk before seeking additional state partnership," Fuentes noted. "We believe the foundation is in place."
Omar Anzaldua, Jr., assistant general manager of Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1, clarified that the drainage district does not intend to act as a retail utility. Instead, it will function as a wholesale producer, selling treated water to municipalities with existing delivery networks.Anzaldua reported growing interest from local municipal entities looking for alternative water supplies to combat systemic regional deficits.
"Our objective is straightforward: capture the water when it's available, store it instead of losing it from this region, treat it to potable standards, and make it available on a wholesale basis to communities that need it," Anzaldua said. "We believe the Delta Region Water Management Project can become a model for how Texas approaches water differently."
