CORPUS CHRISTI — As city crews continue to search for the broken water main that’s led to some not having any water and others with lower water pressure, we spoke with Mayor Paulette Guajardo to find out what’s being done to remedy the situation.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Coast Guard flew one of their choppers through a hard-to-reach area on the Island with the hopes of discovering the source. At last check, crews believe they may have pinpointed an area in Flour Bluff.
The city became aware of the water pressure issues late Sunday and we wanted to know the results they have so far. "They're still looking,” Mayor Guajardo told us. “There haven't been any results. That's the urgency of this so they continue.” Adding, “They've gotten some leads, if you will, but nothing that has proven to be the source of our issues so they continue. They continue to work around the clock.”
At that point during the conversation, we asked the Mayor if she founds those findings acceptable. We also pointed out other cities that have updated technology that can pinpoint a water main break and wanted to know why Corpus Christi doesn’t have one of those systems.
“There isn't right now, we don't have it,” Guajardo told us. “And I think that the technology that would make things different in our scenario today is something that we're obviously learning from, the fact that we don't have it, and that's going to have to change moving forward. I mean this is unprecedented.”
We asked how the city could reach this point and if it was because money wasn’t spent to upgrade the city with this kind of software.
"1800 miles,” she said. “That's a lot of pipeline to be looking to or be looking for. We have to do everything in our power, our city resources, all hands are on deck.” Adding, “moving forward you can bet that this leadership is going to change that as well.”
We also asked the mayor about a conversation we had with City Manager Peter Zanoni on Tuesday. He told us how the city was working on distribution centers where people could get free water.
"It is virtually almost impossible to get water,” Guajardo said. “We are trying. We are working just like everyone else in the state. We've reached out to the state Department of Emergency Management. They did not send us water like they normally would have.”
The mayor wants to remind people that she’s "just asking for patience as we continue to work towards solutions. Everyone is working around the clock and that's what we're going to keep doing.”
As for getting bottled water to the city, Mayor Guajardo told us that she’s working with grocery stores and distributors and doing whatever she can to get water, though she admits it’s tough to do that right now since it’s a hot commodity.
