CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The City of Corpus Christi responded to Governor Greg Abbott’s remarks on Wednesday about the City of Corpus Christi's ongoing water crisis.
The Governor claimed on Tuesday that Texas provided about $750 million to help address the problem and accused local leaders of mismanaging funds, altering plans, and indecision, even warning of a state takeover to ensure residents have reliable water.
On Wednesday, the city released the following statement:
The City of Corpus Christi remains steadfast in its commitment to continue providing water security for the Coastal Bend. We have maintained a consistent, active dialogue with the Governor’s Office, and we are deeply grateful for the continued technical and financial support provided by Governor Greg Abbott, the City’s legislative delegation, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB).
We understand the Governor's frustration and sense of urgency to bring seawater desalination online, and we continue to work on desalination options.
In the meantime, the City is not merely planning; we are executing a $1 billion portfolio of water initiatives designed to provide generational stability. Several of these projects are already producing water, with additional capacity expected to come online gradually over the next 24 months.
Our current strategic projects include:
• Nueces River Groundwater Wells Project:
• Eastern Well Field: 10 MGD
• Western Well Field: 17 MGD
• ERF Well Field: 9 MGD
• Evangeline Groundwater Project: 24 MGD
• Reclaimed Water Project: 16 MGD
• Seawater Desalination Initiatives:
• Inner Harbor Location: 30 MGD
• Harbor Island Location: 50 MGD
In addition, the City has invested in significant improvements to the Mary Rhodes Pipeline to maximize water delivery from Lake Texana and upgrades to the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant to increase output capacity.
These investments represent the most aggressive water infrastructure program in the City’s history. The City of Corpus Christi values the Governor’s high expectations, expectations we intend to meet through our continued partnership with state agencies to ensure the Coastal Bend remains an economic engine for the entire State of Texas.
The City of Corpus Christi is grateful to the Texas Governor’s Office and state agencies for the support and continued dialogue as we work together to ensure an immediate, reliable, drought-proof water supply for the region.
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