SINTON, Tx — Formal protests filed against the proposed Evangeline groundwater project will now move into a new legal phase, after the local Groundwater Conservation District board voted Friday to send the disputed permits to a preliminary hearing process.
As previously reported by KRIS 6 News, the City of Sinton and St. Paul Water Supply Corporation filed formal protests against Evangeline drilling and transport permit applications tied to Corpus Christi’s groundwater supply plans. The filings raised serious questions about whether the project could stay on its original construction timeline.
Corpus Christi officials have described Evangeline as a critical future water source during drought conditions. The plan involves pumping water from the Evangeline Aquifer in San Patricio County, initially producing up to 12 million gallons per day, with the option to expand to 24 million.
However, a recent Corpus Christi city memo written by Corpus Christi Water and adressed to City Manager Peter Zanoni and staff, shows the Evangeline Groundwater Project is expected to produce just 4 million gallons of water per day (MGD) in the near term, far below the 12 MGD figure previously discussed.
City leaders have also acknowledged the project could carry a massive price tag. Corpus Christi approved a $169 million purchase agreement for groundwater rights alone, while one report estimated the total cost, including pipelines and infrastructure, could reach $840 million.
Friday’s vote does not immediately send the case into a full contested hearing, Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni told KRIS 6.
“The contested case hearing would be a second step,” Zanoni explained. “The first step is that it would go to a preliminary hearing to see if the protestants have standing.”
Zanoni said the city had hoped the permits would be approved on Friday in order to keep water production on schedule for November 2026, when Corpus Christi faces the possibility of water curtailment.
“We made it clear that we needed the permits approved today to meet the production schedule,” Zanoni said. “Any week or any month’s delay now… most certainly excludes us from bringing water on from this project in November.”
With the timeline now in doubt, Zanoni said the city is already exploring additional groundwater supply projects, including potential options in Nueces County, to help reduce the risk of future restrictions.
He also emphasized that Corpus Christi believes many concerns raised by area farmers and ranchers — including monitoring and remedies for well impacts — have already been addressed through agreements and management plans.
However, Zanoni said the city still wants further discussions with protestors.
Sinton City Manager John Hobson, who attended Friday’s meeting, said his city supports moving forward with the hearing process and maintains the protests are focused on protecting local groundwater rights.
“We’re thankful for the board sending it to a preliminary hearing,” Hobson said. “Corpus Christi filed their permits following the rules of the groundwater district, and we followed our protests following the same rules.”
Hobson also said Sinton residents are increasingly concerned about what large-scale pumping could mean for their own future water supply.
“They’re starting to see the potential of what could happen, and it worries them,” he said. “Just as Corpus is concerned about running out of water, we’re concerned about our water also.”
Corpus Christi officials say drought conditions continue to worsen, noting Lake Texana has fallen below 60%, and regional restrictions could begin as early as April.
For now, the Evangeline project remains in limbo as the preliminary standing hearings move forward, a decision that could delay one of the Coastal Bend’s most closely watched water supply efforts.
THIS STORY IS DEVELOPING AND WILL BE UPDATED AS MORE INFORMATION IS KNOWN.
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