CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The City of Corpus Christi is considering major updates to its Drought Contingency Plan, the set of rules that determine when and how water restrictions are enforced at Tuesday's council meeting.
The plan, which was last revised in 2018, is meant to be updated every five years, but discussions in 2022 and 2023 never led to official changes.
The City of Corpus Christi moved into Stage 3 water restrictions in December 2024, and it currently includes, but not limited to:
- Irrigation of landscaped areas shall be, at all times, prohibited.
- Ban on washing of any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, or other vehicle at home.
- All fountains shall only operate to circulate water to maintain equipment.
One of the biggest proposed changes is how the city defines and responds to drought stages. Under the new plan, a “Water Shortage Watch” would be issued once the combined storage levels of Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi drop below 50%.
This watch would serve as an early warning system before mandatory restrictions begin.
If lake levels continue to decrease, Stage 4 would have been the inevitable next step. However, that stage will no longer exist by name if the council passes these revisions. Rather, it would be called a “Water Emergency” and would only be enacted for severe water loss, system failures, or contamination.
If approved, this plan would also adjust the rules for Stage 3.
Currently, residents are prohibited from washing their vehicles at home. The proposed plan would allow hand washing with a five-gallon or less bucket on designated watering days.
Another change affects swimming pools—the current plan prohibits filling or topping off pools unless it is a matter of structural integrity. Under the proposed revisions, topping off would be allowed, but all outdoor pools will be required to be covered when not in use.
Enforcement is another key area where the new plan takes a different approach. A $1 surcharge would be implemented for every 1,000 gallons used beyond 7,000 gallons per month for residential customers.
Commercial properties exceeding 55,000 gallons and industrial users exceeding 12.8 million gallons would also face these surcharges.
According to records, through August 2024, more than 2,500 citations were issued for drought-related violations, bringing in over half a million dollars in fines. KRIS 6 News requested the number of citations issued since Stage 3 began; however, the city has yet to answer our request.
The revised Drought Contingency Plan also proposes stricter irrigation limits and new guidelines for commercial and industrial water users.
For businesses like hotels and motels, the new plan would introduce additional conservation measures. If Stage 3 is declared, hotels would be required to implement a “linen and towel reuse” policy, notifying guests that sheets and towels will only be changed upon request. The city also plans to increase targeted outreach to high-consumption commercial users to encourage voluntary reductions before stricter measures are enforced.
Industrial water users, including large-volume manufacturing and processing facilities, would also face surcharges for excessive water use. Under Stage 3, any industrial customer exceeding 12.8 million gallons per month would be charged $1 per 1,000 gallons over that threshold. The city could also limit or suspend industrial water use entirely if a Water Emergency is declared due to infrastructure failures or contamination.
Any public notification would be issued with a combination of utility bill inserts, notices to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, social media, and digital alerts when a drought stage is declared or lifted.
If the council votes to approve these revisions during Tuesday’s meeting, the new Drought Contingency Plan will be implemented on Feb. 11.
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