BLUNTZER, Texas — The Nueces Groundwater Conservation District and State Rep. Denise Villalobos are hosting a free private-well water screening Saturday in rural Nueces County.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the corner of FM 624 and FM 666 in Bluntzer. Residents who rely on private wells are asked to bring a sample of their water for free total dissolved solids (TDS) screening.
TDS measures the concentration of salts, minerals and other dissolved substances in water. The federal standard for safe drinking water is 500 TDS.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet Rep. Villalobos, ask questions and learn more about groundwater issues affecting rural Nueces County.
Thousands of rural Nueces County residents depend entirely on private wells that draw from the Evangeline Aquifer for their water supply. The same aquifer has become an increasingly important source for the City of Corpus Christi, which activated emergency well fields along the Nueces River beginning in 2025 in response to drought conditions that depleted reservoir levels.
The city's reliance on groundwater has grown further this month after a leak on the Mary Rhodes Pipeline forced the 101-mile line offline. With the pipeline down, Corpus Christi Water says it is increasing production from its Nueces groundwater wells and releasing more water from the Wesley Seale Dam while crews work to repair the damage.
Corpus Christi Water has a "good neighbor" well-assistance program in place for homeowners near the city's well fields. The program, required as a condition when the city's groundwater district approved permits for the Western Well Field in December 2025, includes water-level monitoring and water-quality testing for private well owners.
Corpus Christi Water Chief Operating Officer Nick Winkelmann has said residents who believe their wells have been affected should report the issue. The city will review the data, observe the problem and try to determine the cause, and if the city's well fields are responsible, move forward with a correction, he told KRIS 6 News in April.
What to know if you go
- What: Free private-well TDS screening
- When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 4 to 7 p.m.
- Where: Corner of FM 624 and FM 666, Bluntzer, Texas
- Bring: A sample of your private-well water
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