Corpus Christi has secured a short-term groundwater permit to help address the city’s water shortage during a severe drought.
Gov. Greg Abbott has waived regulations, allowing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to issue a Temporary Water Use Permit. The permit allows water from the Western and ERF (Elm Ridge Fields) well fields to be discharged into the Nueces River, which fills Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir.
Abbott also directed the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority (LNRA) to modify its drought plans to let Corpus Christi continue drawing its current water allotment from Lake Texana.
The river authority would have likely begun curtailing the city’s water from the reservoir once it reached 50 percent capacity, but now plans will be reassessed only if it drops to 40 percent capacity.
“We are grateful to Governor Abbott and our legislative delegation for recognizing the urgency of this situation and swiftly working on behalf of the Coastal Bend region,” said Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni. “We remain committed to working closely with the Governor’s Office, our legislative delegation, LNRA and TCEQ to improve the water supply for all customers.”
KRIS reports that the permit is temporary and will last for three years or until the governor’s drought proclamation ends, whichever is shorter.
According to the city, these actions have greatly improved the water supply outlook.
For over a year, Corpus Christi has been under Stage 3 water restrictions. According to five possible water predictions presented by city staff, Corpus Christi could reach a Level 1 water emergency as early as May.
Earlier this year, the Corpus Christi’s city council approved a 30-year agreement with Valero’s refinery to provide reclaimed water for industrial operations in an effort to conserve potable water. At the time, the city was also proposing two water infrastructure projects to the Texas Water Development Board for funding.
During the fall of 2025, the city council scrapped plans for a desalination plant that would have added to the city’s water supply through the treatment of saltwater.
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