CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi residents are buying rain barrels at a rapidly increasing rate, recently selling out the city's supply.
During a morning workshop, Councilwoman Sylvia Campos asked when the city will restock its supply. Corpus Christi Water Chief Operating Officer Nick Winkleman said 500 new rain barrels are expected to arrive by Friday or Monday.
The city sold 456 barrels in March alone. From March 2 through March 6, neighbors bought 55 barrels. The following week, March 9 through March 13, that number jumped to 125 purchases.
The trend has been building throughout the year, with 40 barrels sold in January, 96 in February, and 1,196 barrels sold last year overall.
City Manager Peter Zanoni was asked if the city plans to offer a discount on the barrels, which cost $47 plus tax. Zanoni said the city does not make a profit on them and giving them for free would force ratepayers to cover the cost. The city is limiting sales to two barrels per household while supplies last.
I saw the demand firsthand at City Hall, where residents were picking up barrels, including Annaville resident Destiny Cavazos, who bought two.
"We'll have some extra water, you know, to water our plants or whatever else we need, need it for, so hopefully we can catch them the next time we get a little storm," Cavazos said.
For more information on the City of Corpus Christi's rain barrel program, CLICK HERE.
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