CORPUS CHRISTI — City Manager Peter Zanoni recently announced significant developments aimed at alleviating a looming water crisis in Corpus Christi. With the city facing potential water shortages, these measures could provide crucial relief, extending the city’s water supply for at least two more months.
Earlier this week, the city received state approval to continue extracting approximately 40 million gallons of water daily from Lake Texana, one of its primary reservoirs. This permission allows the city to bypass a standard regulation that would trigger a 10% reduction in pumping capacity if the reservoir dips below 50% full. This exceptional measure is critical for ensuring that the city can continue providing water for its over 317,000 residents.
In addition to the pumping approval, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted the city a permit to access water from wells located in Nueces County. Following the permit acquisition, the city began pumping an additional 4.5 million gallons a day from these newly drilled wells, contributing to the overall water supply.
The urgency of these actions was underscored by recent comments from Governor Greg Abbott, who criticized local leaders for their delayed response to the water crisis. He urged state agencies to expedite permit processes and relax regulations to facilitate the city’s access to necessary water resources.
Zanoni indicated that these developments are expected to provide an additional 8 million gallons of water per day by the end of May. However, he emphasized that these solutions are temporary and that the city needs to develop a more sustainable water supply strategy. “We have to get more water supply,” Zanoni stated, stressing the need for two to three times the current daily water availability.
The backdrop to this crisis includes a prolonged drought and a surge in industrial activity, particularly with the rise of refineries and natural gas export terminals along the Corpus Christi Bay. Two of the city’s three main reservoirs have reportedly dwindled to below 10% capacity, with projections indicating they could run dry by May. This scenario could trigger a formal water emergency, prompting the city to implement drastic conservation measures.
Thanks to the recent approvals, the city has managed to delay the onset of this emergency until at least July. However, Zanoni cautioned that Lake Texana’s levels are also on a downward trajectory, currently sitting at around 53% capacity, with expectations of dropping to 50% in April. “Beginning about last fall, Lake Texana began moving into an extreme drought category, so there has been very little inflow into the reservoir,” he noted, highlighting the severity of the ongoing drought.
Under the new permissions granted by state leaders, the city can continue to draw water from Lake Texana “for now,” which is crucial for managing the immediate water crisis. “That will give us several months more supply at the full amount, helping us here in our drought,” Zanoni added.
In a proactive step towards long-term solutions, the city has also established a 19-member advisory group. This group will collaborate with the Round Rock-based Spheros Environmental Group Parent Inc. to devise sustainable water management plans, ensuring that Corpus Christi can effectively navigate its water challenges in the future.
