ORANGE GROVE, Texas — The City of Orange Grove called a special city council meeting on Friday to address a concerning drop in the water supply.
On April 3, city council voted to hire a hydrogeologist and environmental lawyers to better understand its options. The law firm they hired is out of Austin and specializes in water issues. The city hopes this extra support will assist them in protecting their aquifers and protect the town's water sources.
City Administrator Todd Wright said the aquifer has fallen to 157 feet below ground level, with salt content rising to 1,100 parts per million. These numbers are outside what the city has seen historically. If things keep going the way they are, Wright said Orange Grove could hit a water emergency by this summer.
"The city of Orange Grove is working diligently on these efforts to make sure that we continue to give them the quality water that they've expected and seen for the last 90 years," Wright said.
Wright said a recent meeting with Corpus Christi officials was productive. Both cities agreed to share data and work together on solutions.
The city is asking residents to voluntarily conserve water now while officials monitor levels daily and explore long-term solutions to protect the water supply.
Orange Grove's next regular council meeting is scheduled for the third week of April. Wright said the city may call another special meeting sooner depending on what the consultants find.
KRIS 6 News will continue to keep you updated.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
