The Texas Senate has concurred with House amendments to Senate Bill 1967, authored by Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, paving the way for important funding opportunities for flood mitigation projects. The bill will now head to Governor Greg Abbott for final approval.
In 2019, the 86th Texas Legislature passed SB 7, joint authored by Senator Hinojosa, which created the Texas Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) to help communities develop drainage and flood control projects. This fund, managed by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), provides financial assistance—through grants and zero-interest loans—to cities, counties, and other organizations working to improve flood management and water resources.
Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 (HCDD1) is currently working on the Delta Reclamation Project, a significant initiative aimed at reclaiming water from local drainage systems. This project will help tackle the area’s ongoing flooding issues, which are caused by flat terrain, non-absorbent soils, and long distances to natural water outlets. When completed, the Delta Project will convert daily drainage runoff into a new source of drinking water while also providing flood mitigation through proposed detention ponds.
Currently, existing TWDB programs do not fit the needs of the Delta Project, making it ineligible for funding. However, SB 1967 changes that. The bill amends the Texas Water Code to allow projects like the Delta Project to receive support from the FIF. It expands the definition of a “flood project” to include those that control and repurpose floodwater and stormwater for drinking and other uses. Representative Mando Martinez, sponsor of SB 1967 in the Texas House, added an amendment that also authorizes water supply projects that contain a flood control component to be eligible for financial assistance from the State Water Implementation Fund (SWIFT) and the Water Supply Account within the Water Loan Assistance Fund.
Senator Hinojosa stated, “Addressing water challenges across the state is a priority this session. I was proud to author SB 1967, which makes the Hidalgo County Drainage District Delta Project eligible for funding from the Flood Infrastructure Fund and other Texas Water Development Board funds. This project has two main goals: improving our drainage system and capturing water that would otherwise flow to the Gulf and treating the water for distribution to suppliers for both drinking and non-drinking use. I appreciate Hidalgo County Commissioner David Fuentes for his efforts in advocating for this legislation and thank Rep. Mando Martinez for sponsoring the bill in the Texas House. I look forward to Governor Abbott signing this bill into law.”