Corpus Christi tables drought curtailment vote as industrial reuse and groundwater projects accelerate

Corpus Christi tables drought curtailment vote as industrial reuse and groundwater projects accelerateThe City Council delayed setting water use baselines and a 25% reduction mandate for a looming Level 1 Water Emergency, demanding a revised strategy that shields residents as the city races to bring new water supplies online.

Council tabled an ordinance establishing a 7,000-gallon monthly residential baseline and a 25% curtailment requirement.

Residential users account for only 14 MGD of the city's 120-125 MGD total demand, prompting pushback against strict residential penalties.

The Evangeline Groundwater Project is targeting 4 MGD of new supply by November, with Garney Construction mobilizing for pipe installation.

Industrial wastewater reuse projects with Valero and Flint Hills Resources are tracking ahead of schedule, offering a potential 16 MGD offset.

The city expects to award a CMAR contract in mid-May for a conveyance line linking the Oso and Greenwood wastewater treatment plants.

Corpus Christi City Council voted on April 28 to table an ordinance that would establish water use baselines and curtailment percentages for a projected Level 1 Water Emergency. The one-week delay follows intense pushback from council members concerned that the proposed rules unfairly penalize residential customers while accommodating the region's heavy industrial base. Corpus Christi Water (CCW) Chief Operating Officer Nick Winkleman presented the plan, which proposed a 7,000-gallon per month baseline for residential users. Under a mandated 25% curtailment, residential allocations would drop to 5,250 gallons per month. Commercial, wholesale, and large volume industrial users would receive individualized baselines calculated from recent historical usage, with their lowest consumption months excluded. The proposal drew sharp criticism from the dais. Council members noted that residential customers currently average just 4,500 gallons per month, accounting for approximately 14 million gallons per day (MGD) of the city's 120 to 125 MGD total demand. Large volume and wholesale users, including major refineries, consume the vast majority of the supply. Representatives from wholesale customers, such as the San Patricio Municipal Water District, also argued the baseline methodology created inequities between their retail customers and Corpus Christi's direct residents. The curtailment debate occurs as CCW races to bring alternative supplies online to stave off the Level 1 emergency, which is triggered when the city is projected to be within 180 days of demand exceeding supply. Winkleman provided updates on a diversified portfolio of groundwater, wastewater reuse, and seawater desalination projects designed to lower the demand curve. The Evangeline Groundwater Project has reached 60% design, with Garney Construction mobilizing to install over 35,000 linear feet of pipe. The city aims to deliver 4 MGD from the project to the Mary Rhodes pipeline by November, pending an ongoing administrative hearing regarding water rights. Meanwhile, the Nueces County Western Well Field is producing an average of 8.5 MGD under a temporary bed and banks permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). CCW plans to submit a variance request to TCEQ within a week to optimize pumping and reach an operational capacity of up to 12 MGD. Significant progress is also being made on industrial wastewater reuse, which has a total potential to offset 16 MGD of potable demand. Refineries Valero and Flint Hills Resources are reportedly ahead of schedule on their respective reuse infrastructure. To support this, CCW is advancing a project designed by Ardura for a conveyance line from the Oso Wastewater Treatment Plant to the Greenwood Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will make 10 MGD of effluent available. The city expects to award a construction manager at risk (CMAR) contract for the conveyance line in mid-May. On the desalination front, CCW is finalizing an agreement with Corpus Christi DeSalle Partners for the Inner Harbor seawater desalination project, with a contract expected to reach the council in early June. The city is also exploring a phased brackish groundwater treatment facility targeting up to 24 MGD, and evaluating a proposal from AquaTech to purchase water from a partially completed desalination plant.