CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The City of Corpus Christi is urgently trying to find new water sources. That's because our desal plant is four years away from being built. Right now, the City is focusing heavily on the Evangeline aquifer. The City is getting close to securing the water rights to that source of ground water.
The City expects to be in Stage 3 water restrictions by mid-August. Right now, the City is working to quickly try and get more water coming into our system. According to City Manager Peter Zanoni, they're doing that by negotiating with a group of property owners in San Patricio County who hold the rights to the water that runs underground there in that Evangeline aquifer.
”We are in the final stretches of negotiating, assuming City Council was to execute and approve a contract and if we can secure a good deal with the group, you’re talking 36 months,” Zanoni said.
Water is on everyone’s mind these days as our combined lake levels are set to reach 20 percent in mid-August. The deal City Manager Peter Zanoni was talking about is for the water rights to the Evangeline aquifer that runs under San Patricio County. To get that water out of the ground will be super expensive.
”The cost for the Evangeline is in the hundreds of millions for the well drilling, distribution pipes, plant processing that money would come from the rates the water rates,” he said.
Another new water source the city is looking at right now is wastewater. Corpus Christi Water COO Drew Molly said technology can make the water drinkable.
”The technology is there to treat wastewater and make it a very good source of drinking water,” Molly said.
The city is still planning on building it's desal plant by 2028. It hopes to receive it's discharge permit in the fall. However, Zanoni said the city is still getting everything in place to start that project at the end of the year.
In June, council is expected to vote on the finalist for the design build of the Inner Harbor Desal Plant.