Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Supply topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City manager says water‑supply outlook improved; Level‑1 emergency moved to 2028
Summary
City water officials reported reservoir inflows and model updates that extended the projected 'level 1' water‑emergency date; staff said additional reuse and groundwater projects are in progress and urged patience before changing drought stages.
Nick Winkelman, chief operating officer for Corpus Christi Water, told the council the city’s water‑supply model has been updated with inflows through July 26 and shows the estimated date for a Level‑1 water emergency has shifted to September 2028. "The estimated date for level 1 water emergency... has been updated to September 2028," Winkelman said, noting that recent beneficial rain in the upper watershed raised Choke Canyon Reservoir while Lake Corpus Christi had not yet received all inflows.
Winkelman reviewed operational assumptions used in the dashboard, including continued operation of the Nueces Groundwater Program, wastewater reuse increases through 2027, and temporary pipeline schedules for pump‑station upgrades. Council members asked for clearer, shareable charts showing cost‑of‑service and reservoir projections; staff said final dashboards and the Spheros far‑field model report would be posted online. City officials emphasized the city will declare drought‑stage changes only after sustained reservoir increases and a public announcement; if combined storage holds above the plan’s triggers the city manager will declare a move out of Stage 3 and advise the public when restrictions are relaxed.
