The water is there, but Corpus Christi still needs approval to pump more of it

As Corpus Christi pushes deeper into South Texas in search of water, the city’s western well fields are beginning to produce in a major way.

New wells are coming online near Bluntzer, millions of gallons of groundwater are now flowing, and city leaders say the project could become one of the most important short-term water supplies the city has ever developed.

But even as crews continue drilling, city officials say there is one major problem. The city may not be allowed to pump all the water it is finding.

Here on the banks of the Nueces River near Highway 666 and Highway 624, water from eight newly completed wells is already pouring into the river some 10 mgd of water which will end up at the O.N. Stevens treatment plant.

Another drilling rig is now working on well number 19 at the city’s first western well field site. Crews lowered hundreds of feet of pipe nearly 800 feet underground into the Gulf Coast Aquifer, tapping another source of groundwater intended to help stabilize Corpus Christi’s water future.

Right now, that groundwater is flowing into the Nueces River. But by next year, city leaders say it will be redirected through a new pipeline to the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant in Calallen.

“One portion of the project includes a conveyance line from the western well fields to O.N. Stevens,” said Corpus Christi Water Chief Operating Officer Nick Winkelmann. “And at O.N. Stevens we will be installing a brackish groundwater reverse osmosis plant. That will come online in spring of next calendar year.”

A second western well field site is also expanding along Highway 624 on property owned by the Ed Rachal Foundation. Some wells there are already producing water while additional drilling rigs continue working to increase capacity.

City Councilman Mark Scott says by the end of June, the western well fields could collectively provide up to 36 million gallons of water per day.

The issue, according to Scott, is that current state permit limits may prevent the city from actually pumping that much water.

“By the end of June, we will have access to 36 million gallons of water a day. Thirty-six MGD,” Scott said. “But we will probably only be taking out 20 to 26 million gallons a day because of our TCEQ permit.”

Scott says he hopes the state will approve a waiver allowing Corpus Christi to fully utilize the western well fields as the region continues battling long-term drought concerns.

“If the state is concerned about our water supply, they would give us a waiver so we could withdraw all 36 million gallons a day,” Scott said.

Scott added that gaining access to the additional 10 million gallons per day could help delay stricter water restrictions from returning until next summer.