There was lots to talk about at the Rio Grande Valley chapter of the Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects’ infrastructure luncheon on Wednesday.

There was the prospect of a new causeway connecting South Padre Island to the mainland. The possibility of nuclear power coming to Cameron County. Hundreds of miles worth of drainage ditches being built that will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The topic panelists kept returning to, however, was water.

Drought conditions and record-low reservoir levels have placed water at the forefront of Valley economic considerations as local leaders consider what to do as the resource grows scarcer.