CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx. — The City of Corpus Christi gave an update Thursday on when two new water towers will go online after a test a year ago this month uncovered problems in the water system.
"Within the next six months we'll give it another try," the city's Assistant Director of Water Quality and Treatment Gabriel Ramirez said.
The city will use that time to fix pipes that leaked or burst at least partially due to the July 2018 test of the new water tower on Holly Road.
"If there's some weak points like that, you've got to fix them before we move forward with higher pressure through the city," Ramirez said.
Ramirez says higher water pressure is one benefit two new water towers, the Holly tower and a second on Rand Morgan Road, go online.
Another benefit is meeting a requirement set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The city worked out a deal with TCEQ that requires the city to have 50 gallons of water for every connection in elevated water tanks by 2021. Ramirez is confident the city is up for the challenge.
"We have some time," Ramirez said. "Obviously it's 2019 already, so we've got to get it going more. But still it's a project that's in the works."
If the test, which Ramirez says could happen in six months, is successful and the Holly Road water tower goes online, the added water pressure will allow the Rand Morgan Road tower to also start operating. Ramirez says that will put the city over the hump in meeting the state's requirement.
Some residents are happy to hear a project that's been in the works since 2016 might be drawing to a close.
"Overall I think it's a good thing," Mike Davis said. "I just think that right now we're obviously not experiencing any benefits [from the new water towers] because they can't [operate] because of our pipes."
