City of Corpus Christi | Community Water Information Session August 6, 2026

The City of Corpus Christi held a Community Water Information Session on August 6, 2026, to update residents on the current water supply situation, ongoing water infrastructure projects, and conservation efforts. The session included detailed discussions on the city's diversified water supply portfolio, which now includes surface water, groundwater wells, wastewater reuse, and seawater desalination projects. Significant investments were highlighted, such as a $20 million upgrade to the Mary Rhodes pipeline and a billion-dollar commitment to new water supply projects. The city also discussed contracts with major industrial customers like Valero and Flint Hills for effluent water purchases, aiming to reduce potable water demand. Attendees raised concerns about groundwater well pumping impacts and the need for a formal well mitigation plan, which city officials acknowledged is in development and budgeted for the coming year. The city emphasized its enterprise fund model, where water and wastewater operations are funded solely by user rates, and noted a rate increase approved for implementation in January 2027. The meeting concluded with a Q&A addressing water supply reliability, infrastructure redundancy, and the financial implications of shifting industrial customers to effluent water.