Laredo secures up to 90M gallons of water per day via secondary agreements
Laredo is moving forward with agreements to secure up to 90 million gallons of water per day from secondary sources, aiming to diversify its supply beyond the Rio Grande. A key provision in an agreement with Legacy Water Supply Corp. explicitly commits that this water will not be used to supply data centers, ensuring it is preserved for public and community needs.
The City of Laredo, led by Mayor Victor D. Treviño, has finalized agreements to secure up to 90 million gallons of water per day from secondary sources, significantly diversifying the city's water supply beyond its traditional reliance on the Rio Grande. These new agreements include 40 million gallons per day from the Jasper-Ruth Ranch agreement, signed in June, and an additional 50 million gallons per day through a new agreement with Legacy Water Supply Corp.
A crucial component of the Legacy agreement is a written commitment, requested by Mayor Treviño, that this water will not be supplied to data centers. This stipulation was immediately accepted by Legacy Water Corporation, highlighting a shared priority among officials to reserve this essential resource for public needs and community growth. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and state Rep. Richard Raymond, who attended the signing alongside Webb County Commissioner Wawi Tijerina, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of directing water to residents and underserved colonias.
The push for alternative water sources stems from declining water availability in the Rio Grande, attributed to droughts and upstream damming, and Laredo's rapid growth as a major international trade hub. Laredo City Manager Joseph Neeb noted that without these additional sources, the city's current Rio Grande supply could be largely consumed by 2040. The plan involves utilizing Laredo's existing infrastructure to move water from the Carrizo Aquifer to communities south of the city, including Webb County colonias that currently lack direct municipal water access.
David Earl, legal counsel for Legacy Water Supply Corp., confirmed the company's initial provision of approximately 10 million gallons per day, with potential increases as Laredo's needs evolve. He also highlighted that the project avoided a costly new pipeline by ingeniously leveraging existing city infrastructure to distribute water, ensuring a stable and diversified water supply for the region's future growth for at least the next 25 years.