CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas \u2014 The Corpus Christi City Council voted Tuesday to expand its western well field onto land owned by the Ed Rachal Foundation, a move city leaders say is necessary to strengthen the water supply as drought conditions persist.<\/p>\n
The project could eventually produce up to 15 million gallons of water per day. The first phase includes six wells at a cost of $28 million, which will be rolled into next year\u2019s capital budget.<\/p>\n
District 3 Councilmember Eric Cantu raised concerns about previous assurances to residents.\u201cMy only issue is we told residents we wouldn\u2019t be drilling any more wells,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
At-Large Councilperson Carolyn Vaughn agreed and raised concerns about potential impacts on private well owners in the region.\u201cI will always put people before profits, people need to be reminded this is the city\u2019s fault \u2014 they had no plan,\u201d Vaughn said.<\/p>\n
Corpus Christi Council approves western well field expansion amid groundwater debate<\/p>\n
Concerns about groundwater stretch beyond Corpus Christi. San Patricio County currently has a moratorium on groundwater pumping, reflecting broader regional strain on aquifers. <\/p>\n
At the same time, water quality questions have surfaced. Earlier this month, the City of Robstown \u2014 which draws from the same groundwater sources as Corpus Christi \u2014 was notified of elevated arsenic levels in its system. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality testing over a three-month period showed arsenic levels approximately 30 percent above state standards. <\/p>\n
Because of the shared source water, the findings prompted Corpus Christi to test its own wells. According to Corpus Christi Water, only one well tested at the state arsenic limit. \u201cIt\u2019s minuscule amounts of arsenic, well below any level to be concerned about,\u201d City Manager Peter Zanoni said of the city\u2019s results. The arsenic findings and pumping moratorium elsewhere in the region underscore the delicate balance facing city leaders: increasing groundwater production while maintaining water quality and protecting surrounding wells.<\/p>\n
Mayor Paulette Guajardo said the city has reached a critical point in its water planning. \u201cToday we are at the point where we feared we would be, so we had to say let\u2019s find more water,\u201d Guajardo said. <\/p>\n
City leaders say securing additional supply is critical as Corpus Christi approaches November and the possibility of entering a Level One water emergency. Guajardo called Tuesday\u2019s vote a milestone in moving projects forward and pushing that potential deadline further down the line.<\/p>\n
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