Water will stay on for Primera residents after the city signed off on a new water agreement with the Harlingen Waterworks System. 

A year-long battle between Primera and Harlingen Waterworks is now over after the two entities signed a new agreement late last week.

Primera will pay more, but they're staying with the Harlingen Waterworks System as the city's provider. That wasn't clear to people who lived in the city.

Earlier this month, Harlingen Waterworks announced Primera owed them money and suggested they would cut service if the bill wasn't paid.

Residents worried they could go without water.

"That's our necessities, we need water for everything," resident Daniel Urbina said.

Urbina says he's lived in Primera a long time and he always pays his water bills on time. So when he learned the Harlingen Waterworks System might shut off their water, he was caught off guard.

"First a little insecure, a little upset because what's going on?" Urbina said.

Harlingen Waterworks General Manager Roy Rodriguez explained Primera's contract with the utility ended in May 2025.

In negotiations, they proposed an increased rate from $1.37 per thousand gallons to $1.87, but Primera didn't agree.

They didn't sign a new contract, but Harlingen Waterworks continued to supply water.

"We have been negotiating with the city of Primera for water and wastewater for some time, since 2024," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said in November they decided to increase the rate.

Primera city leaders said in a statement they didn't agree to that decision, so they continued to pay their old rate instead.

That's where Harlingen Waterworks System said the city became delinquent in their payments and now owed around $42,000.

Now that Primera has agreed to sign a new agreement, they only have to pay the difference. 

"The 2.75 would go away, and we would provide them a credit for the difference, like if the 2.75 never happened. So we're being way beyond fair," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said Primera now owes more than $4,000.

Channel 5 News did reach out to Primera's city manager for a statement regarding the new contract, but has yet to hear back.

Watch the video above for the full story.