Gov. Greg Abbott blasted Corpus Christi leadership in a news conference March 10, suggesting that the state may need to go in and “micromanage that city and run that city” because of the handling of the water supply shortage.
The news conference was not related to Corpus Christi’s water situation; Abbott’s statement was in response to a reporter asking about Corpus Christi potentially entering into a water emergency.
See how Corpus Christi leaders have responded to Abbott’s comments.
State officials approved a low-interest loan of about $757 million to finance the proposed Inner Harbor desalination plant — a venture that was halted in September but has since been revived.
Abbott did not specifically reference the loan or the Inner Harbor desalination plant.
However, he mentioned “three quarter of a billion dollars in funding” from the state “for them to address their water problem.”
Abbott also mentioned city officials changing plans and becoming “indecisive about what to do.”
“Corpus Christi is a victim not because of lack of water,” he said. “They’re a victim because of a lack of ability to make a decision.
“What Corpus Christi leaders have to do is make a decision,” Abbott added. “We can only give them a little time more before the state of Texas has to take over and micromanage that city and run that city to make sure that every resident who goes to the water tap and turns it on, they’re going to be getting water out of their faucet — not because of what local leaders are doing, but because of what the state of Texas will do.”
City Manager Peter Zanoni, responding to Abbott’s remarks, wrote in a message to the Caller-Times that the city is “deeply grateful for prior and continued support from Governor Abbott and his Office to help Corpus Christi advance water security for the coastal bend.”
“This includes assistance in developing $1 billion in recent City Council approved water supply projects,” he wrote. “Additionally, continued support from the Governor and his team as well as from our state delegation and state agencies like (Texas Commission for Environmental Quality) and (Texas Water Development Board) for our Inner Harbor Desalination project will only continue to ensure greater water security for our region.”
City Councilman Roland Barrera said on March 10 that he understood Abbott’s concerns.
“I’ve been consistent with regard to my stance for providing water for not only Corpus Christi, but the region, and the importance that Corpus Christi has not only on the region’s economy but the state of Texas, the country and the world,” he said.
“I think it’s very important that we move forward, and I’ve been highly disappointed in some of my colleagues with their reluctance to be able to provide a project that has certainty that the community can count on,” Barrera added.
The Inner Harbor project
Work on the Inner Harbor desalination plant, proposed to generate as much as 30 million gallons of treated water per day, was halted for several months after the City Council, in a split vote, ended a contract with Kiewit Infrastructure Co. for its design in September.
Many of the council members who voted against it cited its estimated cost of $1.2 billion as the chief factor in their decision.
The council is expected to consider in April a proposed contract with Corpus Christi Desal Partners for the plant’s design and build.
The firm in February unveiled a new estimate of about $979 million.
Support on whether to move forward with negotiations at all for a draft contract had also seen a split vote.
The $757 million low-interest loan approved by the Texas Water Development Board is still available.
The city of Corpus Christi several times in the fall, after the design contract for the Inner Harbor project was terminated, had asked the board’s executive director if the loan could be used to finance another water supply project, such as the Evangeline groundwater project.
The board’s executive administrator responded to city officials that it may only be used to finance the Inner Harbor seawater desalination plant and no other water supply projects.
Other water projects
The governor’s comments came on the heels of an announcement that Lake Corpus Christi measured at its lowest levels since 1958.
As of March 10, the combined lake levels of Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir measure 8.7%, according to city data.
City officials have been working to beat a timeline that could see Corpus Christi entering a water emergency within months, as opposed to November, as initially projected through modeling.
A water emergency is when the city is within 180 days of its total water supply being unable to meet demand.
Projects in the works include two groundwater well fields in Nueces County, two groundwater well fields in San Patricio County and effluent reuse for the operations of some processes for at least two industrial companies.
All of the groundwater projects have been controversial, as nearby rural residents and municipalities have raised questions about potential impacts to existing wells, such as changes in water quality or drawdown.
City officials have said they are relying on experts in making their decisions, and have composed mitigation plans to address concerns.
What is known as the Eastern Well Field in Nueces County is currently producing between 3 million gallons and 4 million gallons of groundwater per day, according to city officials, although work is underway to bump that number up to 10 million gallons of water per day.
The Western Well Field, also in Nueces County, is proposed to produce as much as 26 million gallons of water per day. An application has been submitted for a bed and banks permit through TCEQ that is required to convey the groundwater to the Nueces River.
No permits have been attained for one groundwater well field in San Patricio County, while another has two permits outstanding.
Although both permits have been protested, city officials are moving forward with work on the project as the administrative processes plays out.
Kirsten Crow covers city government and water news. Have a story idea? Contact her at kirsten.crow@caller.com.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Gov. Abbott blasts city of Corpus Christi officials on water crisis
Reporting by Kirsten Crow, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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