Emily Rogers and David Méndez presented at the 19th Annual Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Quality Management & Planning Conference, hosted by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on March 23-27.
BHDA is proud to return to this important conference each year and take part in the discussions surrounding the interplay of water/environmental, economic, and infrastructure issues impacting regions of the Rio Grande Valley.
David Méndez moderated the panel Texas Water Development Board Financing: Demystified which provided regional municipalities and drainage districts with a holistic guide to applying for various TWDB financing programs. These financing programs can be used to fund projects to measure, manage, reduce, treat or recapture storm water or subsurface drainage water. Panelists included key representatives for all phases of a TWDB Financing, including:
· TWDB Rep – Mark Evans, Team Lead at the Texas Water Development Board;
· Bond Counsel – David Méndez, Partner at BHDA
· Engineer – Keith Kindle, Chief Operating Officer at Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd, Inc;
· Financial Advisor – Ben J. Rosenberg, Managing Director at U.S. Capital Advisors LLC;
Emily Rogers presented two topics, one of which discussed the legal and practical issues associated with using Lower Rio Grande irrigation surface water rights for industrial purposes. She discussed the current status of the law, hurdles, and possible solutions. Emily also presented a topic discussing the legal and practical requirements for obtaining the legal right to reuse groundwater and surface water-based wastewater effluent. These two topics explored potential new water supplies and provided an opportunity to discuss innovative water supplies.
For more information on this year’s conference, visit: http://rgvstormwater.org/
Photos by UTRGV David Pike