McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — The South Texas border city of Laredo is implementing surcharges to homes and businesses that use excess water as the city is in Stage 3 water restrictions due to 100-degree heat, drought and a lack of water payments from Mexico.

The Laredo City Council on Monday voted to charge residential and business water customers for using over a certain amount of water per month under the current Stage 3 conservation and drought contingency plan. The charges will increase if the city hits Stage 4, which could happen soon as water levels at the regional reservoir are dangerously low.

Under the new rules, residential customers will be charged $10 for every 1,000 gallons of water used in excess of 20,000 gallons per month. Commercial customers will pay a $10 surcharge for 1,000 gallons of water used in excess of 15,000 gallons.

But if the city moves to Stage 4, then residential customers would pay $10 per 1,000 gallons of water used each month in excess of 15,000 gallons. And commercial customers will pay $10 per 1,000 gallons of water used each month in excess of 10,000 gallons.

After a 90-minute discussion on water issues, the council voted in the new measures, which included harsh words from the mayor and some council members criticizing other border communities up and down the Rio Grande.

“It is not rational that the City of Laredo is the only community that is rationing its water at this level. When communities upstream or downstream are not rationing their water use, like our community. And some of the mayors I’ve spoken with are in Stage 2 or 3, and they are in a worse drought situation than we are,” Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Treviño said during the five-hour council meeting Monday evening.

Treviño also brought a motion to suspend the current Stage 4 water conservation and drought restrictions and to re-study the city’s plan because he believe it too strict “and would put tax-paying businesses out out of business.” He said he’s worried about plant nurseries, farms and housing developments “that employ tens of thousand of people.”

The council voted in the new, stricter drought and conservation contingency plans last month.

Laredo Councilman Alberto Torres Jr., supported the mayor’s motion, saying, “We have cities like Eagle Pass and El Paso — who are in a worse situation than we are — and have not triggered their Stage 4 mitigation the way we originally structured it. And we all share, right, that primary source. And I find it unfair to our Laredo consumer who is paying a rate and gets limited when you have other cities that share those water rights and not being as strict.”

Due to the lack of water in the Rio Grande, farmers down river in Santa Rosa earlier this year were forced to close the state’s only sugar mill. And Hidalgo County has issued a drought emergency declaration.

The City of Laredo went into Stage 3 water restrictions Memorial Day weekend after levels at Amistad Reservoir dropped.

Amistad Reservoir on Tuesday was at 19% capacity, according to the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission. That would have triggered Stage 4 water restrictions in Laredo, had the council on Monday not suspended an action to go to Stage 4 until further study.

The water level at Falcon Dam, in Zapata County, was at 9% on Tuesday — an all-time low, according to the IBWC.

Despite a 1944 international treaty between Mexico and the United States, which requires both countries to pay so much water to the other in five-year cycles, Mexico has not paid the water it owes the U.S. to the Rio Grande during this current cycle. Mexico, has paid barely one year’s worth of water, according to the IBWC.

The current 5-year cycle ends in October 2025 and Treviño told the council that during a visit to Washington, D.C., last week, in which he discussed the water situation with federal officials, he said he was told that they don’t believe Mexico will pay what it owes this cycle, and they believe they will say it is due to drought, and excessive climate changes.

On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar said the full House Appropriations Committee approved a provision in the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2025, that will force Mexico to be held accountable for the water.

“Water is life, and water deliveries from Mexico are essential for South Texas communities to operate and grow. I was pleased to secure language in the FY25 SFOPS appropriations bill that ensures Mexico complies with the delivery terms set in the 1944 Water Treaty,” Cuellar said.

He called it “strong language” and he said “we are encouraging our friends from Mexico to do their share.”

Treviño said the idea of cloud-seeding has been brought up with officials to spur rain for Amistad Reservoir, which is located near Del Rio.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.