The Corpus Christi City Council on Nov. 18 moved forward with a project to expand its production of treated wastewater to reduce industrial use of the city’s drinkable water amid the ongoing severe drought.
City Council members voted to award a master services agreement to private company Ardurra Group Inc. for up to $11 million to design a major expansion of the city’s reclaimed water infrastructure.
No one commented publicly on the item, and the eight City Council members, along with Mayor Paulette Guajardo, approved it unanimously.
The effluent reuse project is planned to deliver nonpotable water from the Oso Water Reclamation Plant to a proposed 10 million gallon storage tank at the Greenwood Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to a City Council agenda memo.
“The project is intended to increase the reliability, capacity and efficiency of the City’s non-potable reuse system and take some industrial users off the potable water system,” the memo reads.
The city has sourced wastewater effluent for nonpotable reuse since the 1960s, the agenda memo said. It currently reuses about 3% of the total effluent produced by the Greenwood, Oso, Laguna Madre and Allison wastewater treatment plants. The rest is discharged into creeks, bays and estuaries.
Reclaimed water can be potable, making it safe for humans or animals to drink, or nonpotable to meet outdoor watering needs of lawns, landscaping and gardens depending on how it is sanitized.
The design of the effluent reuse delivery system is expected to be completed in August 2026, according to a presentation included in the City Council agenda. The construction phase of the project will be determined based on the design.
Ardurra Group Inc. has performed similar work for the city of Corpus Christi for more than three decades, according to the ordinance approved by the council.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi City Council approves wastewater project for industrial use
Reporting by Katie Nickas, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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