LAREDO, Texas (KGNS) – The City of Laredo is moving forward in formalizing its relationship with Legacy Water Supply Corporation, giving it a seat at the table to help establish a secondary water source.

Texas’ water supply is expected to decline by 18%, while demand will increase by 9% by 2070, according to the Texas Water Development Board.

The year may seem distant; However, plans to secure water sources require years of planning, something Laredo keeps in mind.

According to Laredo City Manager Joe Neeb, “We were looking at three entities, of which Legacy Water was just one. There was one from Val Verde County and another a little further away. So we cross these secondary water sources.

Most recently, the Laredo City Council approved that the City Manager serve on the Legacy Water Corporation Board of Directors, within the new town, Talise.

Since May, the city has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Legacy Water Corporation, essentially creating a non-binding partnership with the potential to become Laredo’s secondary water source.

Neeb explained that to become a member, the city would have to negotiate terms to establish the relationship.

Noting: “Once we have negotiated the contract, we will come back to you. It will establish our minimum and maximum amount of water and then establish a dollar amount that we will adjust.

Melissa Cigarroa, Laredo City Council member for District 3, says this would be a piece of the puzzle in finding a way to meet Laredo’s water demands.

Mentioning: “Secondary water is very expensive if you look further. The further you go from your city, the more expensive a secondary water source can be. I think the Talise development is a great opportunity because they are just outside of our offshore jurisdiction.

The company plans to drill 42 wells that will provide water at some cost, but remains in the early stages of development with only 4 wells drilled, making it important to look beyond that.

Cigarroa added: “We cannot rely on just one secondary water source. When we talk about diversification, we need to diversify to five, six or more water sources, and that’s just a good practice. This is how the city of Laredo can benefit from water security for its future.

The council decided to task the Department of Public Utilities and the Laredo City Manager with evaluating the needs of the department and determining whether it is necessary to bring in consultants solely dedicated to finding alternative water sources for the community.

Effective immediately, the city manager is authorized to bring in a consultant if he and the utilities department deem it necessary.

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