Residents in Odem questioned Corpus Christi Water leaders during a town hall, raising concerns about supply, planning and impacts across San Patricio County.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Water concerns took center stage Wednesday night as residents gathered at the Odem Community Center for a town hall meeting hosted by Corpus Christi Water.

The meeting brought together Corpus Christi Water leaders, local officials and residents from across San Patricio County, one of seven counties served by the regional water system. Much of the discussion focused on the proposed Evangeline Groundwater Project and what could happen if water supply no longer meets demand.

“There’s a lot of fear out here, you know, and people are asking a lot of questions that I don’t really have the answers to,” Odem Mayor David Maldonado said.

Residents used the meeting’s question-and-answer portion to raise concerns about the region’s ongoing water challenges and how future projects could affect them.

Earl Fontenot, who has owned a well near Sinton for 20 years, said he is now dealing with it going dry for the first time.

“It’s dry. I mean, I’m hauling water from town, you know. I’m looking for somebody to come over there, do whatever they got to do,” Fontenot said.

Fontenot said navigating these water issues is new for him.

“Grew up in the city where you just turn the tap on, you know, and pay the bill at the end of the month and I didn’t have to maintain a level, so I’m not really knowledgeable about that,” Fontenot said.

Corpus Christi Water officials said the goal of the meeting was to help residents better understand the situation and highlight potential solutions, including the Evangeline Groundwater Project.

“The Evangeline Project, at full completion, will provide 24 million gallons a day of groundwater,” said Nick Winkelmann, Chief Operating Officer for Corpus Christi Water.

Winkelmann added that the city is offering assistance to well owners near the Evangeline well field.

“If you are a well-owner within the vicinity within any of our well fields within Nueces or San Patricio County, we are willing to come out and take baseline water level data and take water quality samples,” Winkelmann said.

Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni said the project is moving forward following City Council approval to begin the design process.

“Moving forward with the design. It’ll be 60 percent complete by the end of this month. On Friday, some of the piping that’ll be used in the entire project is coming on site. Another few weeks after that, the construction will begin,” Zanoni said.

However, officials noted that permitting for the project is still ongoing.

Maldonado said Odem relies on water provided through the San Patricio County Water Control and Improvement District, which sources its supply from Corpus Christi.

“We get it through the San Patricio Water District, but they get it from Corpus, and so as long as the Corpus is doing the things that they need to do to be able to provide water for their customers, which includes the city of Odem, I think we’re gonna be OK,” Maldonado said.

As for the Evangeline project, the next step will be for an administrative judge to determine whether remaining protests have standing. If granted, a contested case hearing, similar to a trial, is expected to take place at the end of April.

This is a developing story.