Laredo advances regional groundwater initiative, authorizes legal action over allocation limits

Laredo advances regional groundwater initiative, authorizes legal action over allocation limitsThe Texas border city is pushing to diversify its water supply ahead of projected 2040 capacity limits, partnering with regional entities to secure groundwater and challenge restrictive state allocations.

Laredo currently relies entirely on the Rio Grande, using roughly 39 MGD, but anticipates exhausting its available water rights by 2040.

Council authorized up to $35,000 for legal and technical services to challenge Groundwater Management Area 13 (GMA 13) over its refusal to increase Webb County's groundwater allocation.

Local entities are fighting to increase the county's allocation from approximately 900 acre-feet to 50,000 acre-feet.

Management was directed to continue negotiating a Wholesale Water Purchase Agreement and other partnership frameworks with entities including Legacy Water Corporation and Webb County.

The City of Laredo, Texas, took dual actions on June 26 to secure its long-term water supply, approving further negotiations on a regional groundwater partnership and authorizing legal action to fight state-level groundwater allocation limits. Currently, Laredo relies entirely on the Rio Grande for its drinking water. While the city regularly consumes about 39 million gallons per day (MGD) and has hit a peak usage of 50 MGD, City Manager Joseph W. Neeb warned the council that the city's growth trajectory means it will fully utilize its available Rio Grande water rights by 2040. To diversify its water portfolio, the council voted to advance the Regional Water Development Initiative. The effort aims to partner Laredo with Webb County, the Area Ground Utility District of Webb County (AGUA), the Laredo Municipal Utility District, and the Legacy Water Corporation. Neeb noted that management is nearing completion of a Regional Economic Development and Infrastructure Cooperation Agreement and a multi-party framework. The city is now focusing on the initiative's core component: a Wholesale Water Purchase Agreement that will dictate water volumes, pricing, and infrastructure contributions. However, the regional strategy faces regulatory hurdles. The local Groundwater Management Area (GMA 13) recently denied a request to increase Webb County's groundwater allocation. According to Neeb, the county currently has an allocation of around 900 acre-feet, but local entities argue the allocation should be set at 50,000 acre-feet to support regional needs. "If it stays that tight within Webb County, it will have a negative impact on the City of Laredo," Neeb said. "The farther out we have to bring our water in there, the more expensive that water comes. And so the idea is that if we can get our water out of our backyard, we are so much better for the future." In response to GMA 13's decision, the council unanimously authorized the city manager and city attorney to take necessary actions to protect Laredo's groundwater interests. This includes executing joint representation agreements alongside Webb County, AGUA, and Legacy Water Supply Corporation, and participating in legal proceedings. The council approved an initial expenditure of up to $35,000 for legal and technical services related to the dispute. Any binding financial commitments or final settlements regarding the water purchase agreements or the GMA 13 litigation will be returned to the city council for final approval.