On February 21, 2023, the leadership of both federal and Texas state agencies, NGOs, and communities in the Rio Grande Valley convened to discuss the region’s water and wastewater infrastructure. More than 60 leaders gathered at the McAllen Convention Center in McAllen, Texas to work toward sustainable solutions to reach their regional economic, public health, and environmental goals.
The workshop convened water sector leaders, communities seeking to address sustainable water management needs, and public officials. Fourteen communities from small, rural, and underserved areas of the Rio Grande Valley were represented at the workshop, where they learned more about new funding and investments for water and wastewater infrastructure, technical assistance, and sustainable solutions. Community leaders shared the common challenges they face in accessing funding and financing for water infrastructure. Community leaders were also afforded meaningful time to interact with regulatory, lending and technical assistance representatives to initiate path forward discussion and steps to mitigate some of the noted water challenges. This report provides a summary of the discussions, solution pathways identified by the participants, and ideas for action-oriented collaborations resulting from these conversations.
Read the full workshop report here.