CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Former District 4 Councilman Greg Smith is once again sounding the alarm over the city’s water strategy — this time, during remarks to the Rotary Club.
Smith echoed concerns he shared last week with KRIS 6 News, criticizing the city for bypassing up to 30 billion gallons of already-purchased water from Lake Texana via the Mary Rhodes Pipeline. Instead, the city drew from Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir — a move Smith said was aimed at saving on electricity costs.
Those concerns resurfaced during this week’s City Council meeting.
“The truth of the matter is, we were taking water from the lakes instead of the Mary Rhodes Pipeline, correct?” asked Councilwoman Carolyn Vaughn.
Corpus Christi Water Chief Operating Officer Drew Molly addressed the issue, explaining the decision dated back to 2022. At that time, regional reservoirs were more than half full, he said, and relying on surface water was considered more cost-effective and operationally sound.
“This infrastructure is critical. If anything isn’t done correctly, we’re in a world of hurt.” Molly said.
The Mary Rhodes Pipeline was designed to carry up to 100 million gallons of water per day. However, the pump stations can only move up to 79 million gallons. Currently, the system is delivering about 70 million gallons daily.
Still, studies since 2022 have shown pressure buildup in sections of the pipeline. Molly warned that pushing the system too hard could result in significant damage.
But, for now, Molly says it's operating in good health.
“On a scale of one to 10 — what’s the health of the Mary Rhodes Pipeline?” Councilman Eric Cantu asked.“I’d say a seven,” replied city staff. Engineers are continuing to monitor the pipeline, with a full health assessment expected in September.
For Smith, hearing the issue addressed in a public forum offered a sense of relief.
“I was going, yay — thank you, Drew,” Smith said. “Now that council is talking about this, they might change the way they do things.”
