Council hears update on alternative water supplies: wells, ranch projects and reuse studies
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Summary
City staff briefed the council on a package of alternative water-supply options — new groundwater wells on city property along the Nueces River, private groundwater projects (Evangeline, Eshelman/Voigt/Catahoula) and wastewater reuse feasibility — and said they will produce short-term cost comparisons for council review.
City staff provided the City Council a status report on several alternative water-supply projects intended to supplement the city’s water portfolio amid an ongoing drought.
Chief Operating Officer Drew Molly said staff are pursuing multiple approaches in parallel: (1) drilling and rehabilitating groundwater wells on city property along the Nueces River to provide near-term augmentation; (2) negotiations and technical review of private groundwater projects such as the Evangeline offer (a 23,000‑acre property near Sinton) and the Eshelman/Voigt (Catahoula) ranch proposal; (3) testing and potential treatment options for brackish sources farther from the city; and (4) feasibility work on wastewater reuse.
Molly said the city has completed three Nueces River wells and was drilling a fourth; those wells have produced volumes staff described as encouraging for near-term use, but the water quality varied and will affect treatment choices. “This is an opportunity to just quickly go through the latest, on a number of projects that, we're working on right now,” Molly said when introducing the briefing.
On Evangeline, staff said the landowner’s offer had changed since staff last negotiated and that the owner is now willing to sell some water rather than only lease it; staff have asked an external firm to help compare costs and risks and planned to return with analyses within a three‑week window. The Eshelman/Voigt (Catahoula) project remains under review; staff said it could offer tens of millions of gallons per day but will require longer lead times and more technical study.
On reuse, the council approved a contract with Garver at a recent meeting and staff said they would issue the firm a notice to proceed. Molly noted reuse is a multi-step technical and regulatory exercise but could be a strategically important, lower-cost source compared with some large surface- or brackish-water projects.
Staff said they plan to assemble a short-term cost/comparison model that brings these options into one framework so council can weigh near-term needs (for drought response) against long-term choices and rate impacts. Council members asked for regular public updates and asked staff for more detail on water quality (TDS and other constituents), permitting timelines and how proposed projects might be staged to minimize immediate rate impacts.
