About us

One region working together for clean water

The LRGV TPDES Stormwater Task Force helps local governments across the Lower Rio Grande Valley meet their stormwater permits and protect our shared waterways.

Our mission

The mission of the LRGV TPDES Stormwater Task Force is to pioneer a proactive, collaborative regional approach that empowers Lower Rio Grande Valley local governments to achieve regulatory compliance, manage watershed quality, and protect our communities.

Through enduring partnerships with academia, state, and federal regulators, we cultivate cost-effective stormwater solutions, deliver critical technical training, and champion long-term environmental stewardship across one unified, contiguous metropolitan region.

Task Force members and partners gathered outdoors at the stormwater conference

What is a separate sewer system? Household wastewater goes through pipes to a treatment plant; stormwater flows directly to rivers, lakes and streams.

What is an MS4 permit?

An MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) is a publicly owned drainage network, including streets, gutters, ditches, and storm drains, that collects and moves stormwater runoff directly into local waterways untreated.

Under the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES), communities across the Lower Rio Grande Valley must comply with Phase II (Small) MS4 rules. Because our region operates as one contiguous metropolitan area with shared environmental concerns, the Task Force implements a unified regional Stormwater Management Plan to reduce urban runoff pollution and achieve cost-effective state compliance.