Brownsville city leaders requesting state funds for future projects
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As SpaceX continues to expand, growing pains are being felt on Highway 4.
“Every month there are more and more employees coming down here — every launch attracts more and more people from all over the world,” Brownsville Commissioner Tino Villarreal said.
Villarreal is one of several Brownsville city leaders asking for support from state lawmakers for state tax dollars for certain infrastructure projects in the Brownsville area.
City leaders in Brownsville asked for $211 million to help transform Highway 4 into a four lane highway with a hike and bike trail as SpaceX looks for federal approval to launch from Boca Chica Beach up to 25 times a year.
Officials said as Brownsville grows, so does its water needs.
State Representative Erin Gamez — who represents portions of Cameron County in Austin — said funding Brownsville’s plans to expand its desalination plant is not just a local issue.
“If South Texas loses out on water, the state loses out water,” Gamez said. “Our citrus, our produce, the work that is done in our area feeds the state of Texas."
Brownsville has been working to lower its dependence on the Rio Grande and the two reservoirs that serve the Rio Grande Valley by treating local groundwater through a desalination plant.
Gamez said she's supporting city efforts to expand Brownsville’s desalination plant so it can go from pumping out nearly 7 million gallons of water per day to 20 million gallons.
“We know that water is going to become a commodity like gold soon,” Villarreal said. “If Brownsville can produce its own water, it really helps the region."
The city will need $254 million to expand the current desalination plant, a project that is expected to be complete by Nov. 2030 if it receives funding.
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