A dispute over groundwater pumping in Nueces County could soon become a fight at the Texas Capitol.
State Rep. Denise Villalobos says she plans to file legislation next session to abolish Corpus Christi’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery Conservation District and replace it with what she describes as an independent groundwater conservation district.
Villalobos argues the current structure creates a conflict of interest because the City of Corpus Christi regulates an aquifer while also being one of its largest groundwater users.
The proposal comes after months of opposition from rural property owners west of Calallen who have raised concerns about the city’s expanding well field along the Nueces River. Some residents worry large-scale groundwater pumping could affect private wells, lower groundwater levels or contribute to land subsidence.
“Currently, with the ASR district it’s a pure conflict of interest because they are the City and the ASR are the large volume users. Essentially when you comes to the aquifer and the well Owners so rural Nueces County doesn’t feel like they have a voice in the process,” Villalobos said.
City leaders disagree with that assessment.
Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni said the Aquifer Storage and Recovery Conservation District was created through state law and that the city has complied with every legal requirement during the permitting process.
“An important thing though is this groundwater conservation district was approved by the Texas legislature. We are following the law as prescribed by the legislature. We are not doing anything below Board. We are following the law,” Zanoni said.
Zanoni also said city officials want to meet with Villalobos before any legislation is considered.
“What we want to do is have that conversation with her. We have not had any conversations, no one in the city has had any conversation with the representative. And that’s important our intergovernmental relations Director has been in the process of reaching out to her team, her staff, the representative’s staff,” he said.
Supporters of the proposed Nueces County Groundwater Conservation District welcomed Villalobos’ announcement.
In a statement, organizers thanked the representative for what they called bringing the conflict of interest “into the light” and for standing up for private well owners in Nueces County.
Villalobos said she plans to file the legislation when lawmakers return to Austin next year.
Any proposal would need approval from both chambers of the Texas Legislature before being signed by the governor. Until then, Corpus Christi’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery Conservation District will continue overseeing the city’s groundwater well field as construction on the project continues.
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