Years of prolonged, severe drought and delays in implementation of new water sources contributed to Corpus Christi’s near water crisis earlier this year. The city was only months away from asking residents, business and industries to cut back their water usage by 25%.
On a panel Friday about the water and future of Corpus Christi, speakers concluded that this summer rains bought Corpus Christi time, but that time needs to be used wisely. The region is now looking toward bringing different types of water sources into its water system which could include recycling, groundwater and seawater desalination. The challenge will be turning those ideas into an implemented, coordinated long-term water plan before the next drought arrives, panelists said.
State Rep. Denise Villalobos, R-Corpus Christi, described reservoir levels — the city’s main source of water supply — falling to nearly 7% this summer, impacting water quality significantly and growing concerns about public health and the regional economy.
The city, she said, supplies jet fuel to many airports, meaning “planes couldn’t fly out of [Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport]… We were days away from a catastrophe.”
Jeremy Mazur, director of Infrastructure and Natural Resources Policy at the thinktank Texas 2036, framed the crisis as the culmination of years of historic drought. Corpus Christi came dangerously close to what he described as “Day Zero” — the point at which a community is only months away from running out of water.
“It would have been the first American city to run out of water,” he said.
As the drought intensified, hospitals, cities and industries increasingly turned to groundwater, with users drilling wells to compensate for declining surface water. The panelists cautioned that this approach is ultimately a stopgap rather than a sustainable strategy.
Dorina Murgulet, director of the Center for Water Supply Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, emphasized that groundwater cannot serve as a permanent solution for the region’s growing water needs. During periods of drought, groundwater formations can provide an important buffer, but the amount of water available is limited. As less water is available to withdraw, communities must think beyond simply drilling more wells, she said.
Murgulet also pointed to the importance of water recycling, arguing that the region should have been pursuing reuse more aggressively before the crisis came. She also said she hopes to see continued monitoring of water data, which she argues will be critical to understanding the region’s changing water resources.
Rep. Villalobos called for greater expertise and accountability in water planning. She said local elected officials “need to get out of the water business,” meaning they should not be making technical water-management decisions. She also advocated for greater involvement from water boards and subject-matter experts.
Looking ahead, Villalobos identified groundwater reform and seawater desalination as key issues for the next legislative session. She also expressed support for seawater desalination projects as part of Corpus Christi’s effort to diversify its supply.
Mazur said lawmakers will have to take a look at the state’s water planning process, which he said failed the city by not predicting their looming crisis.
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