Texas City Could Face Water Emergency In Months

The city of Corpus Christi in Texas could face a water emergency within months, official estimates warn, after a major water source dropped to critically low levels, with others projected to continue to drop.

Lake Corpus Christi, one of the city’s major sources of water, has dropped below 10 percent capacity, its lowest level on record, amid an ongoing years-long drought.

According to Corpus Christi’s online water supply dashboard, the city could reach a Level 1 Water Emergency by November, which means it would be 180 days away from its total water supply falling short of demand. 

The dashboard projects that Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon, the city’s two western water supplies, could be empty by 2027.

“The impacts are going to be felt tremendously through the state, if not internationally,” Sean Strawbridge, former CEO of the Port of Corpus Christi Authority, told Texas Tribune and Inside Climate News.

Newsweek contacted the City of Corpus Christi via email on Monday.

Why It Matters

A water emergency in Corpus Christi could have wide-ranging effects, including the need for residents to limit water use and potential impacts on local industries and services.

What To Know

Peter Zanoni, the Corpus Christi city manager, addressed the drop below 10 percent in Lake Corpus Christi levels at a press conference last week, calling it a “notable milestone.”

However, he said that this drop did not trigger an emergency, adding that water remains available from the city’s eastern supplies, including Lake Texana and the Lower Colorado River, and pointing to the city’s ongoing strategies to diversify the city’s water supply.

Experts and former officials have raised alarms about the potential consequences if supplies continue to dwindle.

Strawbridge, the former CEO of the Port of Corpus Christi Authority, criticized city leaders for not acting sooner to prevent a water crisis.

“This should be no surprise to anybody. We were talking about this over a decade ago,” he said.

City officials have sought to allay concerns, pointing to investments in $1 billion worth of City Council-approved water projects, ongoing efforts to diversify supplies, and the availability of eastern water sources.

“We have confidence in what we’re doing. This is no time to panic. It’s no time to be afraid,” Zanoni said at the press conference.

What People Are Saying

A spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Andrew Mahaleris, told multiple media outlets: “Corpus Christi is an important economic driver not only for Texas but also the nation. The State of Texas has made significant investments into ensuring the Corpus Christi area has the water resources it needs to serve citizens and industry alike.”

Corpus Christi public information manager Robert Gonzales told Texas Tribune and Inside Climate News in an emailed statement: “The water shortage in the Coastal Bend is the result of a historic five-year drought,” adding: “Currently, the City of Corpus Christi has $1 billion in City Council-approved and funded water projects underway to address our water needs. The City remains committed to ensuring water security for the more than 500,000 residents and our commercial and industrial customers.”

What Happens Next

City officials say they are continuing to monitor water levels closely while pushing forward projects and strategies to prevent a water emergency.