Corpus Christi's main reservoirs are at just 8.4 percent capacity, prompting city officials to warn of a possible water emergency as early as May. The crisis stems from a five-year drought, a failed desalination project, and high industrial water use. Without cuts, supplies for over 500,000 residents could run dry by early next year.
Corpus Christi, Texas, is on the brink of a water crisis after five years of drought left its primary reservoirs—Choke Canyon and Lake Corpus Christi—at 8.4 percent full. A backup reservoir 100 miles away sits at 55 percent. City manager Peter Zanoni announced last week that the area could declare a water emergency by May if usage isn't slashed dramatically. A Level 1 emergency would demand a 25 percent reduction, though enforcement plans remain unclear. Thiago Campos, owner of Mr. Fancy Pants Carwash, expressed regret over his purchase three years ago, saying, “I bought [the carwash] without really understanding what I was buying into.” Petrochemical facilities, which consume 50 to 60 percent of the city's water, have not faced restrictions despite resident drought measures like lawn-watering bans. One plastics plant run by ExxonMobil and Saudi Arabia used nearly 5 billion gallons in 2024. Plans for a Gulf of Mexico desalination plant collapsed in September, with costs ballooning from $160 million in 2019 to $1.2 billion due to inflation, tariffs, supply issues, and expanded scope. Environmental concerns, including harm to bay ecosystems from brine discharge, added hurdles, as noted in a Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi study. In February, officials voted to revive the project with a new contractor, but hydrologist Robert Mace of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University doubts it will operate before 2028. An emergency wellfield is also under development to pump groundwater into the Nueces River. Residents like Hillcrest's Mona Lytle have voiced frustration, telling the Texas Tribune, “The city needs to tell industry: we need to give our people water.” Industry leaders warn restrictions could hike gas prices amid the war with Iran. Mace suggested partial shutdowns might free water for human needs, potentially averting evacuations.
