Water wells located on the Nueces County Western Well Field and operated by the City of Corpus Christi appear to be pumping water, despite not having obtained the necessary permits from the TCEQ to do so.
KRIS 6 News was contacted by members of the proposed Nueces Groundwater Conservation District and provided a helicopter ride to see water being pumped on Thursday, March 19.
The following day, City Manager Peter Zanoni hosted a Q&A event regarding current water conditions. At the event, Zanoni said the city's plans are "on schedule" and that the main focus was securing permits for water projects from organizations like TCEQ.
"In fact, we have a meeting today to try and advance some of the permits for our Western Well Fields," Zanoni said at the time.
An internal city document obtained by KRIS 6 News revealed the city must replace 50 million gallons per day with alternative supplies. In that same document, it reads that groundwater projects will bring an additional 40 MGD this year, which will limit use of the western reservoirs."
The entire Nueces County Western Well Fields are projected to account for 17 million gallons per day, but only if bed and bank permits are obtained. In a text to council this month, Zanoni wrote that several people have objected to that permit, and that the best-case scenario for approval is May, though it could take longer depending on the number of objections.
The Ed Rachal Foundation property's 9 million gallons per day is tied to that same permit. If it is delayed, both projects stall together.
The pump photographed above is located on Ed Rachal property. KRIS 6 News reached out to CEO Paul Altheide who says any water out on the property is "completely under city control."
WATCH THE RAW VIDEO FROM THURSDAY 3/12:
The Corpus Christi City Council voted in February to expand its western well field onto land owned by the Ed Rachal Foundation, a move city leaders say was necessary to strengthen the water supply amid worsening drought conditions. The first phase of the project includes six wells at a cost of $28 million.
At the time, council members raised concerns about the project.
District 3 Councilmember Eric Cantu raised concerns about previous assurances to residents.“My only issue is we told residents we wouldn’t be drilling any more wells,” he said.
At-Large Councilperson Carolyn Vaughn agreed and raised concerns about potential impacts on private well owners in the region.“I will always put people before profits; people need to be reminded this is the city’s fault — they had no plan,” Vaughn said.
Earlier that month, the City of Robstown, which draws from the same groundwater sources as Corpus Christi, was notified of elevated arsenic levels in its system. TCEQ testing over a three-month period showed arsenic levels approximately 30 percent above state standards.
Because of the shared source water, the findings prompted Corpus Christi to test its own wells. According to Corpus Christi Water, only one well tested at the state arsenic limit. “It’s minuscule amounts of arsenic, well below any level to be concerned about,” City Manager Peter Zanoni said of the city’s results.
The proposed NGCD also provided KRIS 6 News with a response to the projects in the well fields and around the county.
While the City of Corpus Christi's recent statement highlights investments in water infrastructure, it fails to address the most pressing concern for rural Nueces County residents: the lack of independent groundwater oversight and the rapidly increasing reliance on local aquifers.
The City states groundwater will be "carefully managed." However, the available data raises serious concerns that this just more "smoke and mirrors".
Desperation Dictates Dangerous Decisions
The truth is the City's surface water system is deteriorating faster than originally projected.
Inflows into Choke Canyon Resevoir and Lake Corpus Christi have declined sharply, and updated drought modeling is expected to move the City's project Level 1 Emergency water status forward from November 2026 to potentially May or June.
The Truth About the City's "New Water Supply"
The City's statement highlights a portfolio of projects that supposedly add 76 million gallons per day of new water supply.
But the reality today looks very different.
The truth is - much of what is being presented as "new supply" is more smoke and mirrors and fuzzy math than actual water currently available in the system.
State Rep. Denise Villalobos (R-House District 34) told KRIS 6 News in an interview Wednesday that city officials shared three possible scenarios during a meeting held about a week ago with her and Corpus Christi Water staff, including City Manager Peter Zanoni and interim COO Nick Winkelmann.
The three scenarios, as described by Villalobos:
- Worst case: May 9
- Medium case: September 12
- Best case: November 2026
These scenarios and water projects will be taking center stage at Tuesday's council meeting.
KRIS 6 News has reached out to the City of Corpus Christi and TCEQ for comment regarding this matter. Neither has responded as of our reporting.
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