Ian Juarez EDINBURG – In an April 23rd news release, partners IDE Technologies and US Desalination announced the creation of RGV Desal. The leading company behind the expected water desalination facility in Cameron County.
The news release described RGV Desal as a joint venture meant to “design, develop, finance, and operate” a drought-proof water supply system to one of the “fastest-growing and most water-stressed” areas in the county.
IDE Technologies is an Israel-based water solutions company with water desalination plants located in countries around the world such as the United States, Mexico, India, Israel and China.
According to an April 28th U.S. Drought Monitor report by weather.gov, drought levels in the Valley range from Moderate to Extreme.
Douglas Allison, Board Member and Regulatory Counsel at the U.S. Desalination Team for RGV Desal, said a water desalination plant pumps sea water at high pressures. The water later passes through a purification process called reverse osmosis producing clean water.
Allison said because of the drought levels in the Valley, both surface and groundwater are no longer reliable.
“Historically, we have always been relying upon surface water.” Allison said. “But with the demands that we have today, that’s just not enough and has proven and is proving to not be enough.”
Although the facility will be located in Cameron County; Richard Cortez, Hidalgo County Judge, agreed the Valley has a “problem with the availability of water” and the plant with be “extremely beneficial” for the region.
“So, it has impacted agriculture more than municipalities. So, I think predictably, there’s enough municipal water available to handle the municipal needs here in the Rio Grande Valley.” Cortez said “So, the concern is it’s a very high alert concern, that our farmers, do not have a reliable source of a water for them.”
Cortez said the Valley must improve its water availability for growth, as water is a key industry for economic development.
“We’re right in the middle of three huge economies, the United States, Mexico and Texas.” Cortez said. “We have mobility with road construction and we have really a young workforce, so I think we have the ingredients of a lot of the things that the industries are looking for.”
Allison said he has precautions to ensure the environmental impact of the facility is minimal damage to none.
“There’s many facilities all over the world that have proven desal can be operated safely with the environmental concerns that people naturally have because there’s just a lack of information.” Allison said. “We have really teamed up with the world’s leading experts to make sure this facility is what I referred to earlier, gold standard.”
Allison shared the location of the facility will be outside of South Padre Island city limits but will not affect plant or animal life in the Gulf.
The estimated time of completion for the project is within the next three to five years.
