September is the new month Corpus Christi officials believe a water emergency may be called — a timeline that is further out than what had been named as a worst-case scenario two months ago, but sooner than some earlier projections that had pinned it to later in the fall.
A water emergency would be called when the city is within six months of water supply not meeting demand.
The City Council is currently in talks on policies and regulations that would be in effect if a water emergency is called.
Modelers in March had produced three scenarios ranging from worst-case to best-case in the timeline of a water emergency, using as inputs factors such as forecasts, water project development and curtailment of contracted Lake Texana water.
May had been the most dismal version portrayed at the time; the date has since been eliminated from the equation. Late last year, the month that had been projected was November.
Corpus Christi Water staff unveiled the new September projection in a City Council meeting on April 21, a preface to lengthy discussion on items to include curtailment, water allocations and surcharges.
Identifying the September date included several assumptions, a presentation showed, such as no new water coming into the lakes, 20% curtailment of water contracted from Lake Texana and lower-volume-than-expected groundwater pumping from Nueces County well fields.
The current prediction also assumes two major projects coming online in December: pumping the full capacity of groundwater from the city’s Western Well Field and industrial wastewater reuse coming online, according to city documents.
Staff plans to update the models each month, said Nick WInklemann, Corpus Christi Water chief operating officer.
Excluded from the model was the Evangeline groundwater project, planned to eventually pump as much as 24 million gallons of water per day. It’s expected that a hearing next week will give indication on whether, or if, the city is likely to win the remaining permits to realize the project.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Here’s the new date that Corpus Christi may enter into water emergency
Reporting by Kirsten Crow, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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