City outlines near‑term water supply gains, pilot desal testing and modeling for Inner Harbor site

City Manager Peter Zanoni and Corpus Christi Water staff gave the City Council a multi‑part update on the city’s short‑ and mid‑term water supplies and technical work on the proposed Inner Harbor water treatment campus. The presentation covered reservoir responses after June rains, new interruptible and groundwater supplies, progress on reuse and brackish projects, and the schedule and goals for the desalination demonstration pilot and near‑/far‑field mixing model.

The update matters because the city is pursuing multiple new sources to reduce reliance on Choke Canyon and Lake Corpus Christi (stage restrictions remain) and is moving from planning into pilot testing and detailed engineering at the Inner Harbor site. Staff said several decisions made in the next 3–6 months will affect project costs, permitting inputs to TCEQ and the timing of any full‑scale plant.

Combined watershed response and supply projects: Drew (Corpus Christi Water) reported that heavy rain June 13–16 raised combined western lake levels modestly (combined western supplies rose from about 14.7% to 15.4% in the week reported). Lake Corpus Christi saw the largest inflow; parts of Cho Canyon experienced a temporary “tailwater” effect that required closing gates for safety and operations. Drew said the rain did not…