City officials are moving forward with a nearly $170 million proposal that would purchase the rights of as much as 24 million gallons of water per day, a quantity project supporters have said will significantly offset the region’s yearslong drought.
In all, it would amount to about 28,000 acre feet per year, according to city records.
Known as the Evangeline groundwater project, the vote on Oct. 21 was a 7-1 approval of an agreement that would pave the way for a final closing, should all go as planned.
City Councilman Roland Barrera voted in dissent, and City Councilman Mark Scott was absent.
This graphic shows the layout of the proposed Evangeline groundwater project.
Under current plans, the water would be drawn from a nearly 23,000-acre plot of land in San Patricio County, north of Sinton — a location described in an agenda memo as generally being positioned adjacent to U.S. Highway 181 and U.S. Highway 77.
The deal is not set in stone. Multiple terms must be met by the city and the project developers, Evangeline/Laguna LP, for the transaction to close.
It will be several months before that can be determined — a timeframe some skeptics have suggested may be unrealistic.
Under the agreements, developers will have six months to attain the necessary permits — including those needed to drill the wells and transport the water — which would then be transferred to the city.
It’s possible, too, that the agreement could be amended, depending on the city’s findings during a three-month timeframe slated for “due diligence.”
During that period, the city will review hydrogeology data and land surveys, as well as the “access to proposed wells, wellfield layout, existing infrastructure, new pipeline and electrical routing, environmental testing, title and surface use agreement review, hydrogeology and land survey,” according to an agenda memo.
It requires a $1 million nonrefundable earnest money payment, documents show.
Extensive pre-engineering efforts are underway, as described in city records, including work to “identify well locations, determine alignment for water line and electrical infrastructure, locate the required pump station, and integrate the groundwater source with the conveyance of the Mary Rhodes Pipeline. Hydrogeologic modeling is also being conducted to determine long term safe pumping for the well field.”
The $169.5 million is exclusive to the water rights; it does not include the costs of capital infrastructure needed for the wells themselves or conveyance into Corpus Christi.
Estimated capital costs are expected to be made available in the upcoming weeks by engineering firms contracted by the city, the records state.
The council also approved extending to the city of Sinton a proposed 50-year agreement intended to provide relief should the city’s project impact the wells that Sinton relies on.
Sinton City Manager John Hobson has in the past voiced concerns about the Evangeline groundwater project and its potential effects on the availability of well water for the community of Sinton, and has also raised questions on subsidence, or sinking of the ground.
Among other stipulations, the city under the agreement would be required to construct an “interconnection” to Sinton’s systems, records show.
Emergency water could be supplied through the city of Corpus Christi in the event of mechanical failure in Sinton’s systems for as long as 60 days without cost, according to the documents.
Should there be changes to the quality of Sinton’s water — or its quantity, measured in gallons per minute — the city of Corpus Christi would be responsible for mitigation, the unsigned agreement shows.
That could include drilling deeper wells, drilling a well in a different location and allowing Sinton access to water through the interconnection, according to the documents.
The agreement hasn’t yet gone to the Sinton City Council for approval, city staff said.
A future agreement is planned with St. Paul Water Supply Corp., which supplies the nearby community of St. Paul with well water, officials said.
Terms in consideration are similar to those outlined in the proposed agreement with the city of Sinton, staff said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi City Council approves $170 million groundwater proposal