Water Investigation
A decade of industrial commitments made without supply, a desalination saga that collapsed at 10% design, and a drought framework last updated in 2001. Now 320,000 residents face Stage 3 restrictions — and the worst may not be over.
At a Glance
What the data says — reservoir levels, industrial commitments, and the failed desalination bet.
The Story
From early warning signs to the most visible public consequences — each event a choice, a delay, or a failure to act.
May 14, 2015 · water quality
City of Corpus Christi issues boil water advisory due to bacterial contamination in the distribution system. This was one of at least three bacterial boil-water notices between 2015-2016, signaling chronic operational strain in the water system.
Dec 14, 2016 · water quality
Indulin AA-86, an asphalt emulsifying agent, backflows from the Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions facility into the city's water distribution system. Unlike the prior bacterial boil-water notices, this was industrial chemical contamination — a categorically different and more dangerous failure. The city issues a do-not-use advisory affecting 320,000 residents.
Apr 15, 2017 · industrial
Six days after ExxonMobil and Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) accept Corpus Christi's offer of water for the $10 billion Gulf Coast Growth Ventures plastics complex, the city authorizes an application for state funding to develop preliminary desalination plans. The 25 MGD allocation equals all residential water consumption in the city. The desalination plant that was supposed to supply this water has no design, no contractor, and no timeline.
Jan 1, 2018 · governance
The City Council amends the drought contingency ordinance to carve out exemptions for large-volume industrial water customers from emergency drought surcharges. The surcharge rate is set at 31 cents per 1,000 gallons for industrial users — far below what residential customers face under restrictions.
Jun 1, 2018 · industrial
Steel Dynamics is allocated 6 million gallons per day for a new rolled-steel factory. Combined with the ExxonMobil commitment, the city has now pledged 31 MGD to industrial users — all contingent on new water supply capacity that does not yet exist.
Aug 1, 2019 · desalination
The city presents its first formal desalination proposal to the City Council: a $140 million plant producing 10 million gallons per day, to be operational by early 2023. The plan explicitly cites the ExxonMobil and Steel Dynamics water commitments as the reason the plant 'needs to be operational in early 2023.'
Jun 1, 2020 · desalination
The desalination project scope is expanded from 10 MGD to 20 MGD with a revised cost estimate of $222 million. The original 2023 operational deadline is already slipping.
Oct 1, 2021 · drought
The Coastal Bend combined reservoir system falls below 50% capacity, crossing the Water Shortage Watch threshold. Choke Canyon is at 47%. The multi-year decline that began in late 2019 is now visible in the drought contingency framework.
Decision Map
The institutions and individuals whose decisions shaped this outcome.
Source Vault
Frozen research set, plus TPIA targets for the missing records that would deepen the record further.
What Comes Next