AUSTIN, TX — This week, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved three resolutions requesting financial assistance from the Economically Distressed Areas Program (EDAP) for the City of Mission and the North Alamo Water Supply Corporation (Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties). EDAP provides cities, counties, water districts, nonprofit water supply corporations with financial assistance in the form of grants and loans for projects serving economically distressed residential areas where water or sewer services do not exist, or existing systems do not meet minimum state standards. An economically distressed area is a political subdivision in which the median household income is no greater than 75 percent of the state's median income.

The City of Mission applied for $8,510,000 in financial assistance consisting of $4,255,000 in financing and $4,255,000 in grant funding from EDAP for planning, acquisition, and construction of a wastewater system to bring first-time sewer service to 14 subdivisions northwest of the City. These subdivisions are in an unincorporated area of Mission which currently utilizes septic tanks and pit privies to manage its wastewater. Some of these systems do not meet the standard requirements for on-site systems. In addition to the grant funding, the City could also save approximately $309,597 over the life of the financing.

The North Alamo Water Supply Corporation submitted two separate applications. The non-profit Corporation was approved for $4,400,000 in financial assistance consisting of $1,320,000 in financing and $3,080,000 in grant funding to provide first-time wastewater service to 2 unincorporated subdivisions north of the City of Weslaco. The second application approved would provide the Corporation with $9,800,000 in financial assistance consisting of $2,940,000 in financing and $6,860,000 in grant funding to provide first-time sewer service to 9 unincorporated subdivisions north of the City of Donna.

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement:

"EDAP has been an important program for our communities in the Rio Grande Valley. Funding authorized by the Legislature for this program allows communities to provide water services to rural areas where access to safe water does not exist or is not provided. I want to thank our local officials for their continued efforts in working with the Texas Water Development Board to obtain funding for their respective projects."

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