CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx \u2014 A preliminary hearing on the Evangeline Groundwater Project’s drilling and transport permits has been scheduled for April 28, moving a critical step closer to resolving a legal standoff that city officials say threatens Corpus Christi’s water future.<\/p>\n
City Manager Peter Zanoni notified the mayor and city council Wednesday that Judge Alicia Franklin York, the administrative law judge presiding over the contested permit case, has scheduled a Preliminary Hearing on Standing from 1 to 5 p.m. via Zoom. No in-person location has been announced.<\/p>\n
Zanoni has told the council<\/a> that Evangeline represents “the only thing right now that will keep us out of a Level 1 water emergency.”<\/p>\n At a March 17 city council meeting, Corpus Christi Water COO Nick Winkelmann presented six scenarios<\/a> projecting the city’s water future. Five of the six lead to a Level 1 emergency. Scenarios A and B project curtailment as soon as May. Scenarios C and D push that to October 2026. Scenario E is the only outcome that would prevent a Level 1 emergency entirely. <\/p>\n Zanoni said two key pieces of information will determine which scenario plays out: waivers to the water quality management plan<\/a> for the Eastern and Western Well Fields, and permits for the Evangeline groundwater project. <\/p>\n The City Council voted this month<\/a> to pour another $187 million into the project, bringing the total estimated cost, including water rights, to $665.2 million. <\/p>\n The project still lacks key drilling and transport permits<\/a> from the San Patricio Groundwater Conservation District. Protests filed by the City of Sinton and St. Paul Water Supply Corporation pushed the permitting process into contested hearings.<\/p>\n If the protests succeed and the case proceeds to a full contested hearing, city leaders said the delay could last up to two years.<\/p>\n