CORPUS CHRISTI — The Corpus Christi City Council voted 7-2 on first reading to approve a water curtailment plan that would require residents and businesses to cut water use by 25% during a declared water emergency. A final vote on the ordinance is expected May 19.

City leaders have been preparing for a Level 1 water emergency, defined as the point when the city's supply is projected to be 180 days away from falling short of demand. Without additional rainfall, a Level 1 water emergency may occur in around four months, and city leaders expect such an emergency by September unless the drought eases.

Under the plan, the water department set residents' baseline monthly allotment at 8,000 gallons, which would be reduced by 25% to 6,000 gallons during an emergency. An earlier proposal had set the emergency limit for residential customers at 5,250 gallons per month. The city is working on creating an online portal where residents can track water use.

During a Level 1 water emergency, residents would be allowed to wash vehicles at home using five-gallon buckets and handheld hoses with a shut-off nozzle. Previous recommendations would have prohibited all car and boat washing during a water emergency.

Industrial and wholesale customers, including the cities of Alice, Beeville and Mathis, would be required to reduce water use by 25% based on a three-year average that accounts for seasonal changes in usage. The reduction requirement applies to all industrial and wholesale customers regardless of location.

The ordinance addition states, "Water customers are not subject to violations, penalties, or enforcement for exceeding their baseline or exceeding their allocation." The water department had previously recommended classifying violations as a Class C misdemeanor subject to a fine of up to $500, with a second violation potentially leading to the city cutting off a customer's water for at least one monthly billing cycle. Customers can still be cited for prohibited practices during a Level 1 emergency, such as landscape watering.

The curtailment strategy includes fees for customers who use more water than allowed, starting at $4 per 1,000 gallons over allocation and rising to $8 per 1,000 gallons over baseline. Federal and state government users would be exempt from these surcharges. The City Council must consider approving the fees separately by resolution.

More than 95% of the city's water supply comes from surface water, primarily lakes and reservoirs, according to the state's 2022 water plan. The combined capacity of Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir has dropped to around 8.5%.