Texas Water Development Board approves $3,244,000 to the City of Rio Grande City (Starr County) for water system improvements

For immediate release. Contact: Media Relations at 512-463-5129

AUSTIN – (June 25, 2025) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $3,244,000 to the City of Rio Grande City (Starr County), consisting of $990,000 in financing and $2,254,000 in principal forgiveness, from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The City will use the assistance for the planning, design, and construction of a water system improvement project.

In addition to the loan forgiveness, the City could save approximately $301,000 over the life of the loan by using the DWSRF.

With the assistance approved today, the City will replace approximately 7,950 outdated water meters with advanced metering infrastructure, rehabilitate a water storage tank and associated pump station, and replace 400 linear feet of water line with new PVC line. These improvements will enhance system reliability, increase storage and pumping capacity, reduce water loss, and support accurate billing and leak detection.

The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional water and flood planning, and preparing the state water and flood plans. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood mitigation, and agricultural water conservation projects.