CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi residents are no strangers to water restrictions and boil notices, and the latest concerns surrounding the Mary Rhodes Pipeline have many stocking up on bottled water.
The Mary Rhodes Pipeline has been offline since Saturday night after crews detected a major leak on a 64-inch pipe near Refugio. Neighbors have reported the water has tasted earthy.
Monica, a local resident, said she avoids tap water whenever possible.
"Yes, because our water smells really weird, and I wouldn't want to drink that. I don't use our water at all unless it's to shower."
Monica said the situation is not entirely surprising.
"I do think stuff like this happens too often, so it doesn't surprise me that something's going on with our water."
For residents like Bailee, keeping water on hand has become a way of life in the Coastal Bend.
"I do like to keep water stocked up for hurricanes if something were to come to the Gulf, especially unexpected, and we have to leave. Also for emergencies, you know, with our water issues that we've had in the past and we don't know what's going to happen currently, or if something will happen in the future."
Bailee said the pipeline leak raises familiar concerns about water quality and the pace of repairs.
"It does make me concerned because I know we have a lot of water issues already, even with our reservoirs being a little more full than they have been. It's still a concern with like the quality and especially if there was a leak. You know when is it going to be fixed? Will it be fixed in a timely manner?"
City crews are working around the clock, with repairs projected to finish Friday.
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