Two Coastal Bend cities declare water emergencies amid regional shortages, prompting urgent action plans to avert a looming November 2026 supply crisis.
ARANSAS PASS, Texas — Two Coastal Bend cities declared a water emergency Wednesday night as the regional water crisis continues.
Aransas Pass and Ingleside join a growing list of communities feeling the impact of the ongoing water shortage.
Residents in both cities are facing a race against time as their water supply slows to a trickle.
Aransas Pass resident Leroy Theriot said while the city has declared a water emergency, it’s a problem that should have been fixed a long time ago. “The vision is very grim for the future if we don’t fix this. The water is going to run out,” Theriot said. “We were getting by since 2010, especially since 2015. In 2020, we went over the deep end. We’ve crossed over, and now we’re on a decline. Who’s going to stop it, right? So that’s my concern.”
Both cities get their water from the San Patricio Municipal Water District, which is supplied by the city of Corpus Christi. Ingleside City Manager Brenton Lewis said signing the disaster declaration was necessary moving forward. “With their projections, they’re showing that the demand for water versus the supply — that in November 2026, the supply might not meet the demand. Therefore, the mayor, after consideration, decided to declare a disaster emergency because we need to protect our citizens,” Lewis said.
Aransas Pass City Manager Mary Juarez said it’s time for the city to take action. “We are looking at options that we plan to bring to council at the next council meeting on May 4, but we are looking at other options for water supply,” Juarez said.
As they continue to follow Corpus Christi’s drought restrictions, Lewis said Ingleside is considering limiting water use ahead of the summer season. “You’ll probably see some changes in some of our operations, like the splash pad, which will likely have reduced hours. We want to go ahead and provide amenities to our citizens. The swimming pool will probably have reduced hours too, since that’s a major use of water,” Lewis said.
Both managers said the water emergency could be extended. Theriot is hopeful things will improve, especially if officials look at other options. “It’s a painful lesson that we’re going to learn all too late if we’re not careful about what we do right now, because the best time to do something was 10 years ago. The second-best time is right here, right now,” Theriot said.