As Corpus Christi leaders push for new water projects, the city is also turning its focus to conservation, with a planning committee now working to update its strategy.
The water conservation planning committee is made up of community members with a range of expertise, including Michael Miller, Vice President at Teal Construction, who also serves on the Planning Commission.
“The goal has been to update the conservation plan for the city of Corpus Christi,” Miller said.
He tells 3NEWS the group has been meeting for the past couple of months, noting the city’s current conservation plan has not been updated since 2020.
Miller said having a strong, updated plan is especially important when applying for funding through the Texas Water Development Board.
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“There’s certain documents that they require whenever we apply for a loan, and this is one of them, and so that whenever we have a really good plan in place, that moves us up notches,” he explained.
The committee’s goal is to set a clear model across the board, from residents to large-scale users.
“Guidelines for the community, not only the citizens but also our commercial, industrial and wholesale partners on how we can achieve measurable goals year to year on how we conserve water within the city,” Miller said.
Committee members will continue working with Corpus Christi Water staff to polish the document’s final draft. Once finalized, staff will present it to City Council, which will have to vote to approve it.
As part of that effort, city leaders are also looking ahead to potential curtailment measures.
“Next week, City Council will consider approval of the methodology to develop baselines and also the curtailment percentage. We’ll continue to discuss any surcharges,” City Manager Peter Zanoni said.
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