Water is a natural resource that we don’t realize can disappear if we don’t conserve it. The City of Alice has been in a Drought Contingency Plan Stage 3 since the beginning of December.
Alice has been in their Stage 3 Drought Contingency Plan,but what does that mean for our neighbors? And what about the Brackish Water Plant?
"Right now, that's our only source,” Alice City Manager Michael Esparza said.
That source is Lake Corpus Christi.
He said the trigger to move the city into Stage 3 came when the Lake Corpus Christi levels were at 74 feet on Nov. 30. These levels are monitored by Esparza and the city’s deputy clerk mentor.
"The trigger is below 82 feet. Once the Lake Corpus Christi gets below 82 feet - then we go into stage three,” Esparza said.
According to Esparza, Alice goes into the different stages quicker than Corpus Christi because they only have one water source. Beeville and Mathis are in the same situation because their main source of water is also Lake Corpus Christi.
“(Corpus Christi has) a combined lake level - Lake Choke Canyon and Lake Corpus Christi. And we just use Lake Corpus Christi based off elevation,” Esparza said.
Alice went into Stage 1 on Aug. 29 of 2023, then, to Stage 2 on Jan. 8 of 2024, but was lifted after seven days due to rain. Two months later, on March 11, the city went back into Stage 2.
Each time the city went into a different stage for water restrictions, notices were posted on the city website and the city’s social media page.
"I live out in the country, but we do have city water. So, we're blessed,” Jim Wells County resident Luis Castillo said.
Castillo has had city water for the last five years.
"I was not aware of the restrictions. I know that we've had some challenges with lack of rain,” Castillo said.
He said he’s been careful not to waste water and is praying for rain in South Texas.
Esparza said he believes Alice residents are paying attention to the restrictions. He has not heard of any complaints about the Stage 3 water restrictions.
"It seems like it's only getting worse. The timing of our brackish desalination is right on track,” Esparza said.
The brackish water plant is still in the process of being built, but when completed will make a difference. Esparza said the second well should be finished in January of 2025. Then they’ll start testing and get approval to start “blending that with our system” in August or September of 2025.
"It'll change our whole drought contingency plan because we won't just rely on Lake Corpus Christi for water,” Esparza said.
The water plant still needs a second water well and a permanent pump before the city gets approval to operate the plant regularly.
However, he said, Alice neighbors have been good about conserving water. However, he didn’t have numbers on what kind of water usage there has been since the Stage 3 Restrictions were implemented.
"We won't get those updates for another week - to see where we are and what kind of utilization has been,” Esparza said.
He said the current is to conserve water. He said if things don’t change, Stage 4 Restrictions may be implemented in the summer months.
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