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Aransas Pass council asks Corpus Christi to alter water curtailment baselines
Summary
Following a presentation by San Patricio MWD, the council approved a resolution asking Corpus Christi to modify proposed baseline water allocations that would leave wholesale customers with substantially smaller allotments during a level‑1 emergency.
A regional water presentation and a council resolution on May 18 focused on proposed curtailments by the City of Corpus Christi and how baseline calculations would affect wholesale customers such as Aransas Pass.
Brian Williams, a former general manager of the San Patricio Municipal Water District, told the council that Lake Corpus Christi is at 10.9% and Choke Canyon Reservoir at 7.1% (western reservoirs combined at about 8.2%), while Lake Texana was at about 75.7% following recent rains. Williams said Corpus Christi’s draft ordinance sets a resident baseline at 8,000 gallons per month; under the proposed approach, wholesale customers would receive a lower seasonal average allocation. "When there is a 25% reduction, Corpus Christi would go down to about 6,000 gallons per month for their residents, and we would go down to 4,350 gallons per month," he said, illustrating the disparity.
Council member motioned to adopt a resolution requesting that Corpus Christi modify its proposed ordinance so that wholesale customers are treated equitably; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The resolution asks Corpus Christi to revise baselines and curtailment percentages to avoid disproportionately lower allocations for wholesale systems.
Why it matters: If adopted regionally, baselines and curtailment rules determine everyday allotments for households and businesses during a declared Level‑1 water emergency (defined in the presentation as a condition when the water supply may not meet demand beyond roughly 180 days). Council supporters said the resolution is a regional coordination step, not an immediate change to local water service rules.
Next steps: The council approved the resolution and staff will include the council’s position in regional advocacy and in communications with Corpus Christi and neighboring wholesale customers.
