CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi officials are warning that the city's water supply crisis is worsening, with western reservoirs showing no signs of recovery and the timeline for a Level One water emergency potentially moving up.
City Manager Peter Zanoni said prolonged drought and historically low lake levels are forcing the city to accelerate efforts to secure alternative water sources before conditions deteriorate further.
"Choke Canyon, Lake Corpus Christi, those for decades have been the workhorse for water supply but they are in dire condition today and they're not going to rebound with one storm or one hurricane," Zanoni said. "Maybe a year ago we were expecting them to recharge, but at this point we're almost to the point where we're expecting them not to."
The grim outlook has prompted officials to update the water model that determines when curtailment or a Level One water emergency could begin.
"They'll be looking at that, the inflows, predictability for rain, it may update that curtailment date and so we'll report that out if that's the case," Zanoni said.
According to Corpus Christi Water, staff is now fast-tracking multiple strategies, including deep groundwater wells and new treatment options. Some of those plans could go before City Council as soon as Tuesday.
One proposal includes a containerized brackish water treatment system connected to the city's western well field.
The developments signal a significant shift in the city's water management strategy as officials acknowledge they can no longer rely on traditional water supplies the way they once did.
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