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Residents press Harlingen commission to explain water deal for prospective data center
Summary
Public commenters urged the City Commission to disclose terms of a Harlingen Waterworks agreement with a data‑center developer and asked for a public review or moratorium, citing possible below‑market effluent rates and risks to Arroyo Colorado water availability.
Dozens of residents used the citizen‑comment period to press the Harlingen City Commission for clarity about a water deal involving Harlingen Waterworks and RGV Property LLC, and to ask the commission to return a previously discussed moratorium on large water commitments to the public agenda.
Luis Valdespino framed his remarks around specific contract terms that have been reported in local media, citing posted effluent rates and a company price schedule. “So if the data center were to use all of the available 5.5 million gallons of effluent water, would they still pay no more than $1.242 million per year for the effluent water?” Valdespino asked, urging the commission to publicly discuss “what you have learned so far” about impacts on the Arroyo Colorado.
Several other speakers echoed his call for transparency. Isaac Amani Newman, one of the organizers pressing the city for public answers, said the commission had at times removed discussion of a moratorium from the agenda and urged the body to put the item back in public view. “This is not the time to bend the knee to these corporations,” Newman said, and added that citizens expect their elected officials to keep them informed rather than “hide behind closed door meetings.”
Commissioners did not debate the substance of the reported contract during the public‑comment period. Staff later advanced an unrelated item from Harlingen Water Works asking the commission to authorize filing an application with the Texas Water Development Board for wastewater capital improvements; that motion passed without recorded opposition.
Why this matters: Commenters warned that discounted effluent pricing for a major industrial user could shift costs to other ratepayers and reduce available effluent for environmental flows. They asked the commission to: (1) publicly explain the Harlingen Waterworks agreement with the data‑center entity, (2) quantify potential fiscal and environmental impacts, and (3) consider whether a moratorium or additional regulatory steps are needed.
What’s next: The speakers asked the commission to place the matter back on a future public agenda and to provide a staff report on contract terms, expected water usage, and any environmental assessments. The transcript records the requests; no formal moratorium or contract approval vote occurred during this meeting.
Sources: Public comments during citizen communications, Harlingen City Commission meeting transcript.
