CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni said Wednesday the combined storage lake levels are expected to drop to 20 percent soon but he will not institute Stage 3 Water Restrictions.
The City of Corpus Christi implemented Stage 2 Water Restrictions on March 12. It restricts residents from watering their lawns with sprinklers or irrigation only once every other week on their trash pickup day. Customers can not water their properties with sprinklers or irrigation between 10 AM and 6 PM. Violators may receive a citation and fine of up to $500 per violation per day.
Lake levels are currently at 20.1% but Zanoni believes those levels will drop to 20 percent by next week.
According to the City of Corpus Christi's Drought Contingency Plan, when the combined storage levels decline to below 20 percent, customers are required to comply with Stage 3 water restrictions, but Zanoni said even though we'll be at 20 percent, the city will bring in more water.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH CITY MANAGER, PETER ZANONI
"We're evaluating how soon we can bring that additional 20 million to the Mary Rhodes Pipeline that City Council recently approved a contract to improve the system, the pumping system. If everything points to okay, I think we can hold on for a few more weeks or even a few more months; that's what we are going to recommend doing," Zanoni said.
Part of the problem is that despite three opportunities to receive significant rain, we didn't receive major rainfall over the watershed.
"A rain event probably is not going to get us back out of Stage 2 anytime soon," Zanoni said.
He said the city's Drought Contingency Plan is meant to help conserve water today so there's more in the future.
"We don't want to panic the community. We don't want to really punish them, so to speak, to say you can't water your lawn at all," Zanoni said.
When asked why not issue the Stage 2 restrictions in advance, Zanoni said because the city is bringing in more water from the lower Colorado River and Lake Texana.
"If we just relied on the Mary Rhodes Pipeline within a few months, our plan is to bring 75 million gallons (of water) through the pipeline. That is about the entire amount of water that we need for the region in the winter months, between 75 and 80 million," Zanoni said.
He explained the Drought Contingency Plan, which was written about five years ago, doesn't consider the amount of water the city will bring in from the eastern reservoirs.
Zanoni also explained due to the lack of rain, the city plans to use less water from the western lakes. At this point, only rain can replenish the western reservoirs. So, the plan is to use more water from the eastern reservoirs.
The city is also considering pumping groundwater below the dam. The water would then be pumped into the Nueces River and into O.N. Stevens Water Plant.
In the meantime, Stage 2 water restrictions will remain in place.
Stage 3 restrictions include:
- Irrigation of landscaped areas shall be prohibited at all times
- Ban on washing of any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, or other vehicle at home
- No filling, refilling, or adding water to swimming pools, jacuzzis, etc.
- All fountains shall only operate to circulate water in order to maintain equipment
This is a developing story. We will bring you the latest as soon as it becomes available.
