Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz announced during a Tuesday news conference exactly how much water Mexico will give the U.S. in order to pay off its water debt.

“The Mexican government has agreed to deliver up to 420,000 acre feet of water between now and October,” De La Cruz said. 

The move by Mexico came after President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions on the country.

As part of the 1944 water treaty, Mexico must deliver 1,750,000 acre-feet of water to the U.S. from six tributaries every five years. Mexico so far has delivered less than 600,000 acre-feet of water in the latest cycle, which is set to end in October 2025, according to The Texas Tribune.

Congresswoman De La Cruz said this deal is a win, but she is looking toward the future. De La Cruz said during future negotiations for the U.S./Mexico/Canada free trade agreement, she would like to see a clause that would essentially force Mexico to keep a steady flow of water payments. 

Farmers in the Rio Grande Valley who spoke with Channel 5 News said the clause is something they can get behind.  

“This is definitely a win, so this is going to get us into the play-offs, but we need to go back to practice Monday morning and keep on working hard,” farmer Tommy Hanka said.

Hanka said he has land in Cameron and Hidalgo counties that are unplanted because he, like other farmers in South Texas, do not have enough water for the land. 

“We need Mexico to get caught-up on their water debt… they owe us over one million acre feet of water,” Hanka said.

Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez told Channel 5 news he doesn't want people to completely blame Mexico for the water problem.

“Mexico is part of the problem, the tributaries that are coming in from both sides of the border are sending less water to the river,” Cortez said.

The Rio Grande is the main water source for the Rio Grande Valley. Judge Cortez said he believes the county and cities should rely on it less and look for alternative drinking water sources, such as groundwater.

Watch the video above for the full story.