Refineries and petrochemical plants in Corpus Christi, Texas, could have their water access cut off by a local utility if an emergency is declared and they don\u2019t slash their usage by 25 percent.<\/p>\n
Stopping service would be a last resort at industrial sites that go over proposed monthly water allotments and can\u2019t cut back, Nick Winkelmann, chief operating officer of Corpus Christi Water, said Tuesday at a City Council meeting in the Texas refining hub.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that case is happening and a resolution can\u2019t occur, then we would have to start turning valves and shut the water off to those users,\u201d Winkelmann said.<\/p>\n
The City Council is working to finalize water curtailment plans for all customers, but the prospect of cutting water off to industrial users in one of the country\u2019s largest petrochemical and refining centers highlights the stark reality facing the Coastal Bend region of South Texas. The crisis also has the attention of leaders across the country as cities debate data centers and other projects that would boost water demand.<\/p>\n
Corpus Christi Water, which is overseen by the Corpus Christi City Council, serves roughly 500,000 customers across a seven-county region. The city could enter a Level 1 water emergency by September, Winkelmann said at a meeting last month \u2014 a threshold triggered when the region has 180 days before water demand outstrips supply.<\/p>\n
The region\u2019s water supplies have been ravaged by a years-long drought and growing water demands from large industrial users.<\/p>\n
To lower that demand, Corpus Christi Water officials proposed last month<\/a> to require 25 percent cuts for all water users if the city declares a Level 1 water emergency. Officials tabled that proposal, directing staff to come up with changes that were presented Tuesday. The Council could vote on whether to approve those new changes in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n The outlook now for possible cuts looks different for residents and large industrial users.<\/p>\n All residential customers were given a baseline water usage of 7,000 gallons of a month under the previously proposed rules, and the 25 percent cut meant that a household would essentially be allotted 5,250 gallons of water a month.<\/p>\n Large industrial users, however, had their baseline water usages calculated based on their average water use from 2022 through 2024, and those baselines were adjusted seasonally, unlike residents.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, the City Council voted 7-2 to move forward with a proposed ordinance that would increase residents\u2019 baseline usage to 8,000 gallons a month, or an allotment of 6,000 gallons monthly based on the 25 percent cuts. But the calculations to determine industrial water use baselines remained the same.<\/p>\n Changes approved on a preliminary basis Tuesday also removed steep penalties for residents that went over their water allotments. The city ordinance previously set a $500 fine for residents that violated the curtailments, and repeat offenders could have their water shut off for a billing cycle.<\/p>\n