City officials say water restrictions may begin in 2026 as drought persists. Oil and gas leaders warn shortages could impact thousands of jobs across South Texas.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi officials say water curtailments could begin as soon as November 2026 if drought conditions persist, raising concerns for South Texas’ oil and gas industry. 

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Last year, the oil and gas industry made up 38% of Texas’ gross domestic product (GDP) and contributed $27 billion in tax revenue to the state. Locally, the industry includes one of the nation’s largest petroleum ports and employs about 12,000 workers locally, but it relies heavily on water for refining, drilling and production. Those jobs typically pay $120,000 or more, or three times the area’s median income. 

“When it comes to water, these issues are some of the most serious that we’ve faced,” said Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association. “Both homeowners and businesses alike depend on a reliable water supply. The fact that these needs might not be met could have extreme consequences for the operations at these facilities.”

Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright, one of the state’s top oil and gas regulators, said water shortages would ripple beyond industry, threatening exports and employment across the region.

“If industry doesn’t have the ability to access water, they’re going to have to shut down, which means what happens? Our exports will suffer from that. Our jobs will suffer as a community,” Wright said. “Water is certainly needed for any community to survive, but industry is also needed because we have to have the jobs, and we got to be able to make sure we have an economy that provides a comfortable living for people.” 

Wright criticized the lack of long-term planning, saying the state should have acted years earlier to prepare for worsening drought.

“We should have been looking at this 10 years ago,” Wright said. “I think we’re on a very thin line today. By the end of this year, if things keep on the trajectory that we’re seeing, you’re going to see more restrictions come. I really don’t want to see restrictions come as far as our industry is concerned, because then we’ll start losing jobs. We’ll start losing confidence that we can keep our jobs safe here. I think it’s going to take a long time to repair that harm that may cause.”

City leaders say they are pursuing several long-term water solutions, but they warn that without significant rainfall, curtailments could still be unavoidable.