South Texas cities seek new water sources as Rio Grande dries up

Faced with severe drought, South Texas cities are exploring costly but innovative methods to secure their water supply.

Berenice Garcia reports for The Texas Tribune.

In short:

• The Rio Grande's water levels are critically low, pushing South Texas cities to find alternative water sources.
• Edinburg plans a new water treatment facility to extract water from underground aquifers and reuse wastewater.
• Reverse osmosis is gaining popularity in the region despite high costs and environmental concerns.

Key quote:

"We see the future and we've got to find different water alternatives, sources. You know how they used to say water is gold? Now it's platinum."

— Tom Reyna, Edinburg assistant city manager

Why this matters:

With the Rio Grande no longer reliable, South Texas faces water scarcity that threatens both residential and agricultural needs. Innovative solutions are essential but may be financially unattainable for smaller communities without state support.