CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Car wash chains continue expanding across the city despite an ongoing drought, but getting exact water usage data has become impossible after a recent legal ruling.
There are currently 13 Quick Quack car wash locations in the city, with permitted plans to build more. When KRIS 6 News requested the city's water billing records to determine exactly how much water these facilities use, the Texas Attorney General ruled that the city can keep those records secret.
The city says the data comes from an advanced metering system — smart meters that automatically track water usage. Under state law, information collected this way is exempt from public disclosure.
The exemption was originally meant to protect residential privacy, such as preventing someone from determining when a resident is home. However, the law does not separate homes from businesses, meaning commercial properties, including car washes, are shielded as well.
The attorney general agreed with the city's position, making it currently impossible to obtain exact water usage numbers through a public information request.
A Quick Quack representative previously told KRIS 6 News that the company only needs about 20 gallons of water per car and reuses up to 99% of that water. However, the company would not reveal how many cars go through its car wash each day.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
