PETA is urging residents of Corpus Christi to do their part in conserving water by ditching meat, dairy, and eggs. In a press release shared this week, the organization attached a striking graphic of a large steak draining from a bronze faucet alongside the caption: “Corpus Christi or Corpus Crisis?”

The graphic equates one pound of meat to about 1,800 gallons of wasted water. 

Still, the founder of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk, argues that “animal agriculture drains water faster than a leaky faucet,” adding that one of the simplest ways to protect precious resources and animals is by removing meat, dairy and eggs from your shopping lists.

“With Corpus Christi officials predicting the city may be just two months away from a water emergency, PETA is preparing to run an urgent message throughout the city urging everyone to do their part to help conserve water by choosing vegan meals,” PETA wrote in a press release this week.

PETA said that animal agriculture uses massive amounts of water throughout the United States, consuming 36 to 47 trillion gallons of water per year, according to the release. 

Amber Canavan with PETA told Chron on Tuesday that about 70 percent of land in Texas is used for ranching and that the Lone Star State is a leader in beef production. Canavan referred to Texas as a “local contributor to the problem.”

“Ongoing droughts and the rising temperatures mean that without taking on this issue of animal agriculture, while we’re looking at water usage and water conservation, we’re not going to be able to make any kind of dent,” Canavan said. 

While residents of Corpus Christi face individual water conservation restrictions, like watering their lawns or turning off their faucets while brushing their teeth, Canavan said it’s really big industry players that should be taking accountability, as their water consumption far exceeds that at an individual level. 

Officials in Corpus Christi—alongside help from Gov. Greg Abbott, state and federal funding—have renewed a push to bring a multi-million-dollar desalination plant to the city, among other diversification initiatives. 

As of February, Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir were down to just 9 percent capacity. 

No matter how you slice it, the city needs to get to the meat of the problem.