Rainfall has once again allowed Corpus Christi, Texas, to postpone
The Texas city had been facing a Level 1 emergency – indicating the regional water system is 180 days from supply not meeting demand – this year. With June rain,
City Manager Peter Zanoni said water from flooding rain that hit parts of Texas this month is working its way into Corpus Christi's reservoirs.
"This is really, really good news for the community, and it gives us time to bring on our water supply projects without the stress of heading into a Level 1 water emergency," he told reporters.
To stave off the crisis, Corpus Christi has $1.1 billion of groundwater, wastewater reuse, and other projects aimed at producing 66 million gallons of water daily underway. A presentation to the city council last week showed $1.08 billion
On Tuesday, the city council gave final approval in a 7-2 vote to water rate hikes effective Jan. 1 to support current and future debt, as well as water system operations.
Long-term projects being explored
Last week, AXE H20 dropped plans for a privately financed seawater reverse osmosis desalination project the city had been considering as a potential supply source, saying "the emergency conditions that compelled our focused action no longer exist."
The looming water crisis has weighed on the bond ratings of the city of 317,000, which have been hit with downgrades and negative outlooks since late last year.
Corpus Christi Water, a city agency, is the primary water supplier for a seven-county region, which is experiencing
Zanoni said the combined capacity in the city's reservoirs was nearing a 30% threshold that would allow the move to a less-restrictive stage two.
