Alyssa Mendoza BROWNSVILLE – Earlier this month, SpaceX received 445 acres of land for $220 million to fund city water and wastewater projects, causing concern among local community members.
State highway 4, the road connecting Brownsville and Starbase, will expand in 2027 for $192.4 million.
SpaceX also now has access to the Brownsville ship channel, and the city of Brownsville loses the authority of those zone areas.
With the overwhelming heat in Texas, water is becoming a scarce necessity.
According to a news release from the city of Brownsville, the city is planning to expand a water plant and start a wastewater reclamation project to sustain upcoming generations in case the Rio Grande dries up.
Leila Martinez, a political science junior, talks about the valley’s water crisis potentially worsening with a data center.
“The city of Brownsville is already in a water crisis,” Martinez said. “Especially very evident here in UTRGV Brownsville. So, especially if a data center were to be proposed here, we don’t have the water.”
As of September 1, the U.S. drought monitor posted on the national weather service website indicates that lower Cameron County is in an extreme drought condition.
Roxanna Reyes, a psychology junior, shared concerns of the bird populations in Brownsville.
“I don’t hear the birds singing that much anymore,” Reyes said. “It feels like the life that Brownsville once had, the one we took so much pride in is being drained away.”
According to Texas Parks & Wildlife, the Rio Grande Valley is a popular birding destination, as it’s a pit stop for many migratory birds.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, the hum produced by data centers may affect birds by being unable to carry out necessary functions and possibly affect reproduction as well.
Aylah Mendoza, an integrated health science junior, also has water concerns when it comes to the rising data centers.
“Data centers take up a lot of water, and we have no water to give as a result of the drought,” Mendoza said.
As of now, SpaceX has not released more details.
For those who want to contact the city of Brownsville for more information, visit its website at brownsvilletx.gov or call at (956) 546-4357.
