City Manager Peter Zanoni and Corpus Christi Water interim chief operating officer Nick Winkelman delivered a detailed update on the city’s near‑term water projects, saying the city is pursuing multiple sources to avoid mandatory curtailment.

Zanoni said the region remains in an extended drought and that the city is working with ranchers, farmers and rural residents as it advances two groundwater well fields and the Evangeline Laguna project. "We have scheduled town halls and stakeholder meetings so the community knows what we're doing," he said.

Winkelman gave technical specifics: the Eastern Well Field is operational with eight wells; the Western Well Field has four drilled wells, additional wells and pump installations underway, and a target to be fully online in May 2026 while hoping for some wells to be operational by year‑end. He reported expenditures to date of approximately $16.1 million for the Eastern field and about $9.0 million for the Western field, and noted a $30 million state grant that staff will bring paperwork for at a future council meeting.

On the larger Evangeline Laguna Groundwater Project, Winkelman said the design team (Pape Dawson, Hansen Engineers, HDR and Entera) has advanced pre‑design and due‑diligence work; staff cited a project capacity of 24 million gallons per day and a goal of partial delivery by November 2026. An independent hydrogeologic review by KT Groundwater confirmed prior analyses and provided recommendations for well design, Winkelman said.

The presentation also highlighted effluent‑reuse planning to reduce potable demand. Staff are targeting roughly 3 million gallons per day of reuse from the Allison plant and another 3 million gallons per day from the Greenwood Wastewater Treatment Plant, and plan a conveyance line to make Oso plant effluent available to larger users. Winkelman said the city will present a master services agreement for that conveyance work to council next week.

Council members asked about outreach and monitoring; staff said they have contacted seven nearby well owners to provide baseline testing and will offer assistance at no charge. Zanoni reiterated the outreach phone number for well owners: (361) 826‑1600.

The presentation included schedule and funding context but noted additional approvals and design steps remain. Staff stressed the projects are staged—zoning and permitting, design, construction and potential receipt of grant funds—and that timing depends on multiple factors including electrical infrastructure upgrades, permitting and contractor schedules.

The council took the presentation for information; staff indicated more detailed funding and contract items will return for formal council action.