Corpus Christi officials tell Aransas Pass council drought is ‘exceptional,’ outline $1 billion supply plan

Corpus Christi water officials told the Aransas Pass City Council on March 16 that an ‘‘exceptional’’ drought has driven reservoir levels to historic lows and prompted a multi-project strategy they say will add roughly 76 million gallons to the regional supply.

Peter Zannoni, identified in the presentation materials as the city manager for Corpus Christi, said the city council there has approved about $1 billion in water-supply projects intended to diversify supply and ‘‘build a system that will be lasting.’’ Nick Winkelman, chief operating officer of Corpus Christi Water, gave technical details, saying the package includes multiple groundwater well fields, brackish groundwater reverse-osmosis treatment, effluent reuse contracts with industry, and up to three seawater-desalination sites.

Winkelman said the Western and Eastern well fields and an Evangeline project in San Patricio County would together provide substantial new groundwater capacity and that the…