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World class, transformational, drought proof.
On Thursday, officials from Cameron and Hidalgo counties together with representatives of US Desalination LLC and IDE Technologies hailed a partnership between the latter two companies that will see the construction of a $1 billion desalination plant on South Padre Island.
The companies formed RGV-Desal LLC, described in a news release as a joint venture to design, develop and finance the plant with private funds.
The plant is planned to produce around 50 million gallons per day using seawater from the Gulf of Mexico, and will be designed to serve the entire Rio Grande Valley. A rendering on the RGV-Desal website, however, shows the facility being capable of producing 100 MGD.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said there are also opportunities for growth as the Valley’s population and need for resources grow as well.
“Today, we received an update from RGV Desal on their desalination project in Cameron County,” Treviño said via Facebook on Thursday. “Planned for South Padre Island, the facility is expected to produce over 50 million gallons of water per day, with the potential to expand capacity in the future.
“With our proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Cameron County is uniquely positioned to play a key role in securing long-term regional water sustainability and supporting residential, recreational, and commercial water needs as the RGV is projected to grow in coming decades.”
Like Treviño, Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez said via Facebook that he, too, was invited to speak at an event Thursday where an update was provided on the project.
He said “brought together regional leaders, stakeholders, and community partners to share key developments on the proposed RGV Desal marine desalination project” — state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, being among them.
US Desalination board Chair Sean Strawbridge called the partnership “a defining moment for water infrastructure in South Texas.”
“The Rio Grande Valley has long relied on a limited and increasingly stressed water portfolio,” Strawbridge said in the release. “By partnering with IDE Technologies — a world leader in large-scale seawater desalination — we are bringing a proven, privately funded solution that will add meaningful and reliable supply for both public utilities and industrial customers across the region. This is exactly the kind of bold, market-driven infrastructure investment that will ensure the Rio Grande Valley can support its growing communities and economy for generations to come.”
The plant will specifically target the need for what RGV-Desal reps characterized as the “most water-stressed regions in the United States.”
Advanced reverse osmosis technology will be used to produce high-quality potable water at scale and in the long-term, as the plant will be equipped to serve both public water utilities and industrial users.
Lihy Teuerstein, CEO of IDE Technologies, which has designed and operated similar plants in Israel, Asia, the U.S. and throughout the Americas, said the RGV-Desal facility “will leverage our proven technology and operational expertise to deliver a reliable, sustainable water supply for the communities and industries of the South Texas region.”