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 city has secured a production permit for about 24 million gallons per day from the San Patricio site. He also described a modular reverse-osmosis installation at the Owen Stevens treatment plant and a plan to convey treated groundwater by a new 36-inch pipeline that staff expect to complete by year-end. "It's absolutely awful," Winkelman said of current inflows at Choke Canyon Reservoir, underscoring the urgency officials attribute to the new projects.

The briefing included projected reuse of treated effluent: officials said long-term contracts with large industrial customers — including Valero and Flint Hills Resources — would replace roughly 16–19 million gallons per day of potable demand, with Valero expected to use about 8 million gallons per day once its contracted infrastructure is completed. The Inner Harbor desalination project is fully permitted and staff are negotiating a progressive design-build contract to reach 60% design and build a demonstration plant; Corpus Christi has also reserved capacity at the Harbor Island desalination project managed by the Nueces River Authority.

Council members and residents pressed presenters on timing and contingency planning. Winkelman explained that a Level 1 water emergency is defined as roughly 180 days before supply is expected to fall short of demand and that the city is modeling several scenarios to show when and how curtailment could be required. He warned that permit delays could meaningfully change timelines: protests to drilling permits at the Evangeline site have triggered administrative hearings in the Groundwater Conservation District, and "if a judge says they have standing," the process could take years, he said.

Residents asked how curtailment would affect large industrial users versus residents. Zannoni and Winkelman said state law requires percentage reductions to be applied across customer classes, and that the city is negotiating voluntary curtailment plans with industrial customers. "These are large users," they said, noting that a percentage reduction of industrial load can produce significant supply for other customers. Officials also noted a voluntary drought surcharge that large users have paid for years and said the city is working on regional curtailment planning.

Environmental concerns were raised about desalination outfall brine and local bay circulation. Officials said the city has commissioned a $300,000 far-field modeling study to assess salinity, temperature and oxygen impacts and invited community members to participate in that process. The study and related public meetings were described as part of the evidence the council will consider when authorizing future design and construction steps.

The council recessed after the briefing; Corpus Christi staff said they will present detailed scenario modeling to the Corpus Christi City Council the following day and will update Aransas Pass on any changes.