Council tables proposal to set 7,000‑gallon residential baseline and 25% water curtailment after hours of public concern

Mayor Paulette M. Cazarez convened a lengthened discussion May 4 after a packed public‑comment period that centered on the city’s drought response and how any usage limits would be enforced. The council heard a presentation from Nick Winkelman, chief operating officer for Corpus Christi Water, who said staff recommends a 7,000‑gallon/month residential baseline and a 25% curtailment to create an allocation of 5,250 gallons a month per residential account if the city enters a level‑one water emergency.

Winkelman said the baseline and curtailment are meant to preserve the system’s ability to meet demand while the city brings additional supplies online, and that the proposed approach mirrors the methodology staff used for commercial, multi‑family and wholesale classes. “This allows customers to plan, request a variance if justified, and helps the utility avoid a shortage that could threaten service,” he said.

But councilmembers and dozens of public speakers pressed staff on how the policy would work in practice. Speakers representing neighborhoods and nonprofit groups urged exemptions for large or multi‑generational households, called for clearer medical and low‑income protections, and asked for an easy way to track real‑time household usage. “We need a Coastal Bend Water Resilience Task Force to coordinate industry, regulators and community representatives,” public commenter Marcol Jimenez told council. Several residents said their recent bills showed surprising spikes and asked how meter reads are translated into the monthly amounts that would be the basis for enforcement.

Council members likewise sought detail. Councilman Mark Scott said the proposal’s separate pieces — baselines, surcharge levels and criminal citations in the drought contingency plan — are intertwined and need a single coherent implementation plan. “Passing baseline mathematics without the guard rails on enforcement, surcharge timing and an accessible variance process will sow fear and confusion,” Scott said. Council members asked for a public portal where households can see accumulated usage during a billing month; staff said a portal is being developed with IT and a demonstration is expected in the coming weeks.

A recurring question was when fines or criminal citations would apply. The drought contingency plan currently authorizes civil penalties and a per‑day fine for violations; council, staff and the city attorney agreed to review the text so that enforcement is clearly tied to monthly allocations and to emphasize compliance and outreach before punitive steps. Staff also told council that the greatest water savings in the short term come from wholesale and large industrial users, and that wastewater reuse and brackish‑water treatment projects remain core elements of the city’s plan to add supply.

After roughly three hours of discussion and dozens of public remarks, Councilman Scott moved — with a second — to table the ordinance for one week so staff can meet individually with council members, refine the variance and enforcement language, and produce clearer public communications including bill‑graphics and the customer usage portal. The motion carried. The council directed staff to return the ordinance with clarified procedures for the variance process, a timetable for the customer portal, and proposed wording or options for surcharges and enforcement that align with what the public will actually see on monthly bills.

What happens next: staff will meet with council members over the coming week, update the public usage dashboard and return recommended implementation language. The tabling does not change the underlying water‑supply timeline presented by CCW — staff said the city still projects additional supply options (wells, brackish treatment, and reuse partnerships) over the next 6–18 months — but it delays final council action on the baseline and formal curtailment mechanism.