A new two-year study aims to determine if the concentrations of heavy metals in Rio Grande Valley drinking water are high enough that action needs to be taken.

Researchers at Texas A&M University are leading the study with $1.5 million in funding from Methodist Healthcare Ministries. The research team is targeting 12 heavy metals, with lead and arsenic in particular.

“Arsenic is just naturally occurring in the ground in the Valley,” lead researcher Garret Sanson said. 

In unincorporated areas, many homeowners are not connected to municipal water systems, which are tested regularly by law to meet TCEQ standards.

"Some people don't have access to any water at all, and they get their drinking water from private commercial areas or even from service water sources, and they try to filter it out themselves," Sanson said.

He said complaints have been anecdotal, and more research is needed to verify concerns about water quality.

“We've met with well over 100 individuals, all of which at least have the perception that there are issues with their drinking water,” Sanson said.

This follows previous efforts by Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas to grow water infrastructure in the Valley. CEO Jamie Wesolowski said his ministry's efforts secured $200 million to expand water access in South Texas. Then the organization focused more on water quality.

The new research effort will test water samples on and off the water grid, and perform tests on people's blood and fingernails for traces of contaminants.

“For right now, on this initial project, we're concentrating on the San Carlos, Weslaco and Progreso areas to get a baseline information in these specific colonias,” Sanson said. "The idea is, once we have more information, we can better position ourselves for future research in other areas."

The study is scheduled to be completed in 2024. Those findings will be reported to lawmakers in the 2025 legislature.