1 00:00:00,330 --> 00:00:02,310 Shelly Brisbin: I'm Shelley Brisbane for the Texas Standard. 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:06,630 The water crisis in Corpus Christi has been on the minds of many Texans for the 3 00:00:06,630 --> 00:00:11,040 past few weeks, but in the city itself, officials have been dealing with drought 4 00:00:11,130 --> 00:00:13,890 and increased demands for water for years. 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:18,540 On April 3rd, David Brown spoke with Corpus Christi, city manager Peter Zamo, 6 00:00:18,750 --> 00:00:23,850 about how the city plans to beef up water supplies the state's role and why the 7 00:00:23,850 --> 00:00:25,725 city hasn't declared a water emergency. 8 00:00:26,460 --> 00:00:30,210 This is an extended version of the interview that appeared on the radio show. 9 00:00:30,630 --> 00:00:33,629 David Brown: I know you've been in this role since 2019, 10 00:00:33,629 --> 00:00:35,879 about seven years back then. 11 00:00:35,879 --> 00:00:39,210 What were the conversations like at the local and state level about the water 12 00:00:39,210 --> 00:00:41,160 issues facing, uh, Corpus Christi? 13 00:00:42,195 --> 00:00:44,775 Peter Zanoni: You know, back then our Westin reservoirs, uh, 14 00:00:44,805 --> 00:00:46,214 were in pretty decent shape. 15 00:00:46,425 --> 00:00:51,074 And so the focus really was, uh, was bringing on an additional water 16 00:00:51,074 --> 00:00:53,175 supply, seawater, desalination. 17 00:00:53,385 --> 00:00:56,714 Uh, but it was, it was done in a more, uh, the conversations were 18 00:00:56,714 --> 00:00:58,305 more in a relaxed atmosphere. 19 00:00:58,965 --> 00:00:59,055 Mm-hmm. 20 00:00:59,325 --> 00:01:03,254 Uh, there was no, the, the drought, um, that we have gone through now for the past 21 00:01:03,254 --> 00:01:05,745 five years, uh, was not existing then. 22 00:01:06,750 --> 00:01:11,850 And, uh, the city for decades had relied on those Western reservoirs and, um, 23 00:01:11,940 --> 00:01:16,290 and had treated the region well, uh, I would say up until this past route. 24 00:01:16,770 --> 00:01:22,050 And so the focus then was, was, uh, one that had started many years prior to 2019. 25 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:22,770 David Brown: Yeah. 26 00:01:22,770 --> 00:01:25,470 Peter Zanoni: And that was bring, bringing on a what then they described, 27 00:01:25,470 --> 00:01:29,850 and we still use it, a drought proof water supply or water source. 28 00:01:29,940 --> 00:01:30,570 Uh, seawater. 29 00:01:30,570 --> 00:01:31,350 Desalination. 30 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,495 David Brown: Uh, what happened to that idea for a desal plant? 31 00:01:36,345 --> 00:01:39,460 Peter Zanoni: Yes, sir. So, uh, the, you know, the councils, our, our 32 00:01:39,465 --> 00:01:41,745 council term limits here are two years. 33 00:01:41,805 --> 00:01:48,495 And, um, and to, to, and policy concepts and ideas and directions have 34 00:01:48,495 --> 00:01:50,655 changed just about every two years. 35 00:01:50,660 --> 00:01:50,780 Uh. 36 00:01:51,390 --> 00:01:52,020 It's hard to, 37 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,410 David Brown: hard to get, get your feet in on a project like 38 00:01:55,410 --> 00:01:58,500 a desalination plant when you're changing the players every two years. 39 00:01:58,500 --> 00:01:59,640 It, uh, it sounds like, 40 00:01:59,640 --> 00:01:59,970 Peter Zanoni: right? 41 00:02:00,330 --> 00:02:01,350 Yeah, that's correct. 42 00:02:01,350 --> 00:02:03,030 This is a, this is a big project. 43 00:02:03,030 --> 00:02:07,230 It, it, it is expensive, uh, and it has a, a rate impact. 44 00:02:08,220 --> 00:02:11,520 And, um, and so if you have a new council member coming in, it takes time 45 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,580 to reeducate or educate on the project. 46 00:02:14,580 --> 00:02:14,850 On the, 47 00:02:14,940 --> 00:02:15,090 Shelly Brisbin: yeah. 48 00:02:15,180 --> 00:02:17,580 Peter Zanoni: Financials, on the impact on this, uh, on the 49 00:02:17,580 --> 00:02:19,380 water, the benefits of the water. 50 00:02:20,174 --> 00:02:21,135 It's still here. 51 00:02:21,225 --> 00:02:25,125 The Inner Harbor Desalination project is still live, so to speak. 52 00:02:25,155 --> 00:02:25,739 Uh, we have mm-hmm. 53 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,275 Uh, another, another vote coming up here in April. 54 00:02:28,725 --> 00:02:28,935 David Brown: Yeah. 55 00:02:29,114 --> 00:02:31,575 Peter Zanoni: That would, that would award a design contract to 56 00:02:31,575 --> 00:02:35,745 the second bidder in our most recent solicitation process to get a design. 57 00:02:35,805 --> 00:02:38,055 There, uh, to construct the plant, 58 00:02:38,865 --> 00:02:42,825 David Brown: but concerns have certainly spiked in recent weeks. 59 00:02:42,885 --> 00:02:47,475 Uh, there have been, uh, several stories that have reported on how Corpus Christi 60 00:02:47,835 --> 00:02:51,915 is, uh, months away from a full on water. 61 00:02:52,140 --> 00:02:57,179 Catastrophe and, and the main sources for water for Corpus Christi had 62 00:02:57,179 --> 00:02:59,579 fallen below that, you know, 10% mark. 63 00:03:00,059 --> 00:03:04,829 Uh, and a lot had been changing over those years since you first took office. 64 00:03:04,829 --> 00:03:08,910 There were a lot more, there's a lot more industry that had come to Corpus Christi. 65 00:03:09,149 --> 00:03:11,399 When did the alarm bell start ringing in your office? 66 00:03:12,495 --> 00:03:14,295 Peter Zanoni: Yeah, and I would just correct that the, you know, there's 67 00:03:14,295 --> 00:03:16,755 been some, some additional industry. 68 00:03:16,815 --> 00:03:20,204 There's a con, there's a notion out there that all of a sudden we added a ton. 69 00:03:20,265 --> 00:03:23,505 We added tons of refineries and petrochemical plants. 70 00:03:24,315 --> 00:03:28,515 Um, if we look at our city, the, the main refiners that are here, the three 71 00:03:28,515 --> 00:03:31,125 to four have been here for decades. 72 00:03:31,245 --> 00:03:33,825 Uh, now we, we did agreeably add a few more. 73 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,600 Industrial customers, uh, that are in the petrochemical space. 74 00:03:37,630 --> 00:03:40,870 Uh, but it, it, it is known and it should have been known to the 75 00:03:40,870 --> 00:03:45,730 leaders of, uh, of the city that we have a, a, a large industrial 76 00:03:45,730 --> 00:03:47,410 complex that uses a lot of water. 77 00:03:47,410 --> 00:03:50,709 And that really hasn't changed substantially since I've been 78 00:03:50,709 --> 00:03:52,450 here or in the last decade, say. 79 00:03:52,454 --> 00:03:52,565 Mm-hmm. 80 00:03:52,930 --> 00:03:53,109 Shelly Brisbin: Mm-hmm. 81 00:03:53,350 --> 00:03:54,325 Peter Zanoni: So we've known us here. 82 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:59,740 Uh, I think, I think the, the bigger issue is, is the lack of commitment. 83 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,350 To be focused on bringing on alternative water supply projects, 84 00:04:04,470 --> 00:04:07,140 diversified alternative supply projects. 85 00:04:07,530 --> 00:04:11,340 It has been over 30 years since the city invested in a new water source. 86 00:04:12,030 --> 00:04:14,430 We built infrastructure, but we haven't bought any new 87 00:04:14,430 --> 00:04:16,829 water sources in 30 plus years. 88 00:04:16,829 --> 00:04:20,610 It's been 33 and 34 years since water sources. 89 00:04:21,224 --> 00:04:23,505 David Brown: Well, I think that that was what was driving a lot of the, 90 00:04:23,565 --> 00:04:28,215 the reporting on this, that, that it seemed like this had been mismanaged. 91 00:04:28,215 --> 00:04:32,505 That, you know, as you say, Corpus Christi has known about this for decades, and yet 92 00:04:32,895 --> 00:04:37,484 something like that desalination plant has not moved substantially forward. 93 00:04:37,515 --> 00:04:39,885 Uh, that there weren't alternative sources. 94 00:04:39,885 --> 00:04:41,265 Serious alternative sources. 95 00:04:41,385 --> 00:04:43,575 Do you feel like it's been mismanaged? 96 00:04:44,715 --> 00:04:46,515 Peter Zanoni: I take it, I take it, uh, I don't know if 97 00:04:46,515 --> 00:04:47,655 mismanaged is the right word. 98 00:04:47,655 --> 00:04:49,659 I think there's been a lack of, of a direction. 99 00:04:50,670 --> 00:04:54,900 Uh, and um, and, and it takes time and we've, I've been working on it 100 00:04:54,900 --> 00:04:58,410 for the past seven years, so I think there's been a lack of directions. 101 00:04:58,410 --> 00:04:59,405 There's been a lack of commitment. 102 00:05:00,450 --> 00:05:03,180 And some of that comes just by the nature of how our governance 103 00:05:03,180 --> 00:05:07,710 structure works, which is a city council elected, um, by the populace 104 00:05:07,860 --> 00:05:09,300 that have two year term limits. 105 00:05:09,300 --> 00:05:13,469 And it, and it makes it tough to, to understand the concepts that 106 00:05:13,469 --> 00:05:16,740 have to be approved under, uh, to understand the policy direction of 107 00:05:16,740 --> 00:05:18,240 how the city's trying to move forward. 108 00:05:18,535 --> 00:05:18,835 David Brown: Yeah. 109 00:05:18,895 --> 00:05:22,585 Governor Abbott when he, when this appeared on their radar screen in 110 00:05:22,585 --> 00:05:25,405 Austin, he seemed to be pretty agitated. 111 00:05:25,405 --> 00:05:29,695 He was threatening to take over the city of Corpus Christi and try to manage 112 00:05:29,695 --> 00:05:32,305 this water crisis from that point. 113 00:05:32,635 --> 00:05:35,665 Where do coordination efforts stand with the state right now? 114 00:05:36,585 --> 00:05:36,885 Peter Zanoni: Right. 115 00:05:36,885 --> 00:05:39,915 So the state has been a, an extreme partner in helping us 116 00:05:39,915 --> 00:05:44,205 through this route of record and in bringing on seawater desalination. 117 00:05:44,205 --> 00:05:48,795 So the Texas Water Development Board, um, has ranked our inner harbor desalination 118 00:05:48,795 --> 00:05:52,905 project as a, as a, like a number two, number three ranked project amongst, 119 00:05:53,085 --> 00:05:53,175 David Brown: mm-hmm 120 00:05:53,925 --> 00:05:56,685 Peter Zanoni: many in the state and have secured funding the 121 00:05:56,685 --> 00:05:58,005 lowest interest loan funding. 122 00:05:58,485 --> 00:06:02,235 From their portfolio, uh, for $757 million. 123 00:06:02,805 --> 00:06:06,675 The environmental agency, TCEQ, especially in recent times in these 124 00:06:06,675 --> 00:06:10,365 recent months, has helped expedite permits for groundwater projects. 125 00:06:10,935 --> 00:06:13,335 Governor Abbott and his team have directly helped. 126 00:06:14,025 --> 00:06:17,385 And we, we thank him, uh, we're, we're grateful for him and we understand 127 00:06:17,385 --> 00:06:21,135 his position, which is he is very much a business leader in the state 128 00:06:21,165 --> 00:06:25,575 making this state, Texas, one of the leaders in, in business development. 129 00:06:25,995 --> 00:06:29,205 And to have that, you need predictability and you need, uh, you 130 00:06:29,205 --> 00:06:30,945 need predictable business models. 131 00:06:30,945 --> 00:06:34,395 And we, we can't be in this position where we are not sure if we're gonna have enough 132 00:06:34,395 --> 00:06:36,435 water to make it through a particular. 133 00:06:36,930 --> 00:06:37,950 Uh, calendar year. 134 00:06:37,950 --> 00:06:41,550 And so we understand where he is coming from and he has been 135 00:06:41,550 --> 00:06:44,610 helping tremendously and we're, and we're grateful for, for that. 136 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,610 David Brown: Do you, do you, do you feel like the relationship is, is positive 137 00:06:47,610 --> 00:06:49,440 or is, is it a little contentious? 138 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:52,920 Peter Zanoni: Well, from my standpoint, I'm not an an elected official, so I 139 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:55,980 think it's very positive 'cause he is working, he and his team are working 140 00:06:55,980 --> 00:06:57,780 directly with me, the city manager. 141 00:06:57,784 --> 00:06:58,055 Mm-hmm. 142 00:06:58,135 --> 00:06:59,495 And, and, and our team here. 143 00:06:59,715 --> 00:07:00,135 David Brown: Mm-hmm. 144 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,240 Peter Zanoni: Uh, we have, uh, calls into his office two, 145 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:04,560 sometimes three times a week. 146 00:07:04,980 --> 00:07:05,280 David Brown: Wow. 147 00:07:05,340 --> 00:07:07,620 Peter Zanoni: And there's no, there's no, there's no confrontation. 148 00:07:07,620 --> 00:07:11,355 The very positive, very professional, uh, dialogues that we have. 149 00:07:12,210 --> 00:07:13,410 David Brown: I want to ask about something. 150 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:18,150 Uh, recently you started doing weekly briefings for the city's residents 151 00:07:18,150 --> 00:07:19,590 who were seeing these headlines. 152 00:07:19,590 --> 00:07:24,000 Very concerned about, um, the description there that Corpus Christi, 153 00:07:24,540 --> 00:07:26,100 you know, might run out of water. 154 00:07:26,430 --> 00:07:29,760 You said at that first briefing, we will never run out of water. 155 00:07:30,330 --> 00:07:30,900 Um, right. 156 00:07:30,930 --> 00:07:35,700 And I, and I, and, and I'm wondering if you can clarify that, is do you really 157 00:07:35,700 --> 00:07:37,410 believe Corpus Christi will, will. 158 00:07:37,470 --> 00:07:38,760 We'll never run out of water. 159 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,460 You have enough water to meet demand for the foreseeable 160 00:07:41,460 --> 00:07:41,760 Peter Zanoni: future. 161 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:41,820 No. 162 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:46,290 Uh, well, a local resident who, uh, was commenting on that, um, uh, 163 00:07:46,290 --> 00:07:47,790 recently saying how would he know? 164 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,720 You know, but that, that statement comes from, uh, mis, I think a 165 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:55,530 misleading headline that said Our two Western reservoirs are about 166 00:07:55,530 --> 00:07:58,590 to run out of water and therefore the city will run out of water. 167 00:07:59,310 --> 00:08:01,410 And so we do have somewhat of a diversified. 168 00:08:01,935 --> 00:08:06,015 A surface water program where, uh, we, we, we get water from our two Western 169 00:08:06,045 --> 00:08:10,845 reservoirs and water from East Texas today, 70% of the water that we have here 170 00:08:10,845 --> 00:08:15,345 in this region comes from East Texas, from Lake Tana and the lower Colorado River. 171 00:08:15,915 --> 00:08:20,145 Those areas are, are, while in, while in an emerging drought generally 172 00:08:20,145 --> 00:08:21,855 get better rain chances than here. 173 00:08:22,605 --> 00:08:26,325 So as long as that supply is decent, the city will never run outta water. 174 00:08:26,625 --> 00:08:30,975 Uh, we, we, we may be in a circumstance where we can't meet the daily demand. 175 00:08:31,785 --> 00:08:35,565 Uh, but through demand curve reduction, uh, we can still provide 176 00:08:35,565 --> 00:08:40,155 water, uh, for, for all of our classification and cust of customers. 177 00:08:40,815 --> 00:08:44,565 David Brown: You, you mentioned if you get the rain, but it's, it's, it's very 178 00:08:44,565 --> 00:08:48,285 possible y'all might not get significant rainfall through the end of the year. 179 00:08:48,285 --> 00:08:48,855 What then? 180 00:08:49,589 --> 00:08:52,290 Peter Zanoni: Well, so we have, uh, we have several diversified 181 00:08:52,410 --> 00:08:55,980 projects that are coming online and, and are online and, and more water 182 00:08:55,980 --> 00:08:57,360 will be coming online through them. 183 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,329 Those include three groundwater projects in this county. 184 00:09:00,334 --> 00:09:00,415 Mm-hmm. 185 00:09:00,495 --> 00:09:01,260 And Oasis County. 186 00:09:01,620 --> 00:09:01,709 Shelly Brisbin: Mm-hmm. 187 00:09:01,949 --> 00:09:04,620 Peter Zanoni: And then a 24 million gallon a day project in the 188 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:07,560 adjoining county of the adjacent county in San Francisco County. 189 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:12,480 So groundwater, groundwater, uh, the, the formations that we're targeting is, 190 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:17,760 uh, is is more secure water not prone, uh, to drought conditions like we see 191 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:19,800 here now that impacts surface water. 192 00:09:20,580 --> 00:09:23,670 Uh, so that, that'll be, that'll help our supply levels and, um. 193 00:09:25,095 --> 00:09:29,385 And then we'll continue to rely on Eastern sources, including low Colorado 194 00:09:29,385 --> 00:09:31,755 River and, and, um, and Lake Tana. 195 00:09:32,295 --> 00:09:36,315 But that's why the 10 years ago, or 10 plus years ago, uh, 196 00:09:36,315 --> 00:09:39,795 leaders in this community, uh, really highlighted seawater. 197 00:09:39,795 --> 00:09:44,745 Desalination as a best choice to mitigate effects of drought in this 198 00:09:44,745 --> 00:09:46,965 area is very prone to cyclical droughts. 199 00:09:46,965 --> 00:09:51,285 About every five years, uh, the, the region, uh, enters into a drought cycle. 200 00:09:52,334 --> 00:09:55,935 And that's why I see water desalination while expensive, is really the 201 00:09:55,935 --> 00:10:00,495 only choice in, in a community like this to have better water security. 202 00:10:01,665 --> 00:10:02,805 David Brown: Uh, is that gonna happen? 203 00:10:03,464 --> 00:10:05,625 Peter Zanoni: I think, you know, as long as I'm here and pushing it, 204 00:10:05,685 --> 00:10:07,125 uh, I think we have a decent chance. 205 00:10:07,125 --> 00:10:09,104 We have, uh, our Inner Harbor project. 206 00:10:09,675 --> 00:10:12,765 We have a project with the Oasis River Authority in the Port of 207 00:10:12,765 --> 00:10:14,865 Corpus Christi, uh, on Harbor Island. 208 00:10:15,525 --> 00:10:19,545 We have a smaller facility that may come back on or may come online at 209 00:10:19,635 --> 00:10:22,829 Corpus Christi Polymer as a plastics plant that could produce about 10 210 00:10:22,829 --> 00:10:24,375 million gallons in the next year. 211 00:10:25,125 --> 00:10:28,035 And then we're looking at a location on the cell side of, of 212 00:10:28,035 --> 00:10:29,835 our community near the Laguna Madre. 213 00:10:30,285 --> 00:10:30,375 David Brown: Mm-hmm. 214 00:10:30,615 --> 00:10:31,395 Peter Zanoni: It's a power plant. 215 00:10:31,485 --> 00:10:35,145 A power plant that's owned by City Public service in San Antonio. 216 00:10:35,564 --> 00:10:35,775 David Brown: Yeah. 217 00:10:35,775 --> 00:10:37,635 Peter Zanoni: And so that's been a long sought after site. 218 00:10:38,775 --> 00:10:42,344 I think, you know, we have the state behind us, and the state has made it clear 219 00:10:42,344 --> 00:10:46,395 to our elected leaders here that there is no substitution for the, for the awarded 220 00:10:46,395 --> 00:10:48,194 funds that we have for the Inner Harbor. 221 00:10:48,285 --> 00:10:53,145 We either use it there or we, we, or we, we forego it and that, and have to 222 00:10:53,145 --> 00:10:55,005 pay back everything we borrowed so far. 223 00:10:55,485 --> 00:10:59,084 David Brown: Well, let's talk about the short term here briefly, because from 224 00:10:59,084 --> 00:11:03,944 all the stories that I've been reading, it's looking like within a few months the 225 00:11:03,944 --> 00:11:05,625 restrictions that are currently in place. 226 00:11:06,495 --> 00:11:10,965 We don't see a substantial, I mean like a, like we're talking tropical 227 00:11:10,965 --> 00:11:13,485 storm sized amount of rainfall. 228 00:11:13,995 --> 00:11:19,395 There's just not gonna be enough rain, uh, to cover the water needs for the city. 229 00:11:19,725 --> 00:11:23,505 And that perhaps, uh, within a few months, y'all are gonna need 230 00:11:23,505 --> 00:11:25,140 to declare a water emergency. 231 00:11:25,140 --> 00:11:25,755 Am I wrong? 232 00:11:26,685 --> 00:11:29,415 Peter Zanoni: Uh, the, we've updated forecast, so it's a little more than 233 00:11:29,415 --> 00:11:33,105 a few months, and we'll have a, we'll have a final model in mid April. 234 00:11:33,750 --> 00:11:37,740 Uh, based on the, the performance of our, our most recent brought on 235 00:11:38,069 --> 00:11:39,959 groundwater project in Oasis County. 236 00:11:40,199 --> 00:11:40,290 Mm-hmm. 237 00:11:40,530 --> 00:11:43,980 So once we see how that is performing in terms of, uh, the quality of 238 00:11:43,980 --> 00:11:46,740 the 'cause, we're discharging that water into the Oasis River that 239 00:11:46,740 --> 00:11:48,569 conveys it to the treatment plant. 240 00:11:49,410 --> 00:11:53,280 If that, uh, if our, if our water quality management plan, uh, stays 241 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:55,110 in, in check, we'll be able to. 242 00:11:55,485 --> 00:11:59,655 We'll be able to produce the amount of groundwater that we want, uh, to keep 243 00:11:59,655 --> 00:12:01,305 us outta that level one emergency. 244 00:12:01,665 --> 00:12:04,515 David Brown: Why not just declare a water emergency right now? 245 00:12:04,515 --> 00:12:06,135 You see where this is trending. 246 00:12:06,525 --> 00:12:09,135 Why don't just say stage one water emergency? 247 00:12:09,135 --> 00:12:12,464 We've got to do more in the meantime 'cause we don't know where this is headed. 248 00:12:14,385 --> 00:12:16,964 Peter Zanoni: Right, because we have, uh, forecasts that show 249 00:12:16,964 --> 00:12:18,645 new water supply coming on. 250 00:12:18,645 --> 00:12:19,995 And it's happening now. 251 00:12:19,995 --> 00:12:23,385 It's been happening for several, it's been happening for months, but more 252 00:12:23,385 --> 00:12:26,895 aggressively now that the governor's helped us in the last couple of weeks. 253 00:12:27,824 --> 00:12:29,685 And we have more in the, in the horizon. 254 00:12:29,685 --> 00:12:33,405 We have another big project in, in that adjoining county, San Patricia County, 255 00:12:33,405 --> 00:12:39,104 that comes on in November with 24 million gallons in total starting after November. 256 00:12:39,104 --> 00:12:41,859 It starts with four and then ramps up to 12 and then 24. 257 00:12:42,210 --> 00:12:42,300 Mm-hmm. 258 00:12:42,930 --> 00:12:47,370 So there's, there's, uh, there, there are solutions even if the Western 259 00:12:47,460 --> 00:12:52,860 reservoirs deplete to zero or to somewhere around that depletion mark. 260 00:12:53,610 --> 00:12:59,100 Uh, as long as our supplies say solid, and, and as long as our new sources come 261 00:12:59,100 --> 00:13:04,140 online as planned, we can, we can push back or totally eliminate the need for 262 00:13:04,140 --> 00:13:06,240 a level one water emergency declaration. 263 00:13:07,125 --> 00:13:10,035 David Brown: You don't wanna declare a level one water emergency clearly. 264 00:13:10,035 --> 00:13:13,155 But what would, uh, what would that mean for residency, if you had to? 265 00:13:14,385 --> 00:13:14,564 Peter Zanoni: Yeah. 266 00:13:14,564 --> 00:13:14,865 Right. 267 00:13:14,865 --> 00:13:16,814 So it would be, it's all classifications. 268 00:13:16,814 --> 00:13:20,685 It'd be residents, commercial, uh, businesses, and large volume industry. 269 00:13:21,165 --> 00:13:26,055 It would, it would mean that we would, we would demand a, a reduction in use. 270 00:13:26,145 --> 00:13:30,015 We, there would be a, an, it would be a conscious effort to drive down 271 00:13:30,015 --> 00:13:34,964 demand so that there would be enough supply to meet that new reduced demand. 272 00:13:35,475 --> 00:13:37,335 And keep our pressures up in the system. 273 00:13:38,175 --> 00:13:41,085 And so we, we, we don't want to panic the community or the region. 274 00:13:41,085 --> 00:13:43,185 We don't want to, we don't wanna shut down business. 275 00:13:43,185 --> 00:13:46,335 We don't wanna halt production from our petrochemical industry here. 276 00:13:46,845 --> 00:13:49,575 That's why we're reluctant to say, Hey, let's just call it today. 277 00:13:49,695 --> 00:13:51,255 Let's just call the level one emergency today. 278 00:13:51,285 --> 00:13:53,085 'cause there, there is a good chance. 279 00:13:53,805 --> 00:13:57,285 Uh, based on the work that we have done and the policies that the city 280 00:13:57,285 --> 00:14:01,965 council has approved, that we can forego or eliminate altogether the need. 281 00:14:01,965 --> 00:14:04,995 And so we're, we're monitoring this every day of the week. 282 00:14:05,564 --> 00:14:10,305 And, uh, and if something seems like our plans aren't gonna materialize, and we 283 00:14:10,305 --> 00:14:13,605 could call it sooner than we had to, but right now there's no reason to do that 284 00:14:14,775 --> 00:14:16,035 David Brown: and no reason to do that. 285 00:14:16,035 --> 00:14:19,005 I mean, it does seem like a, to a lot of folks, a heck of a gamble. 286 00:14:20,625 --> 00:14:23,204 Peter Zanoni: Well, it's, uh, you know, we, what we do know is the, 287 00:14:23,265 --> 00:14:28,334 the effects of, of reducing water consumption, especially in our, our 288 00:14:28,334 --> 00:14:32,714 petrochemical industry that is here, um, at, at our residential homes even. 289 00:14:33,314 --> 00:14:36,375 And at our commercial, we have a big tourism industry here, so things 290 00:14:36,375 --> 00:14:38,474 like hotels and the service industry. 291 00:14:39,045 --> 00:14:42,074 If we have to tell a region, and it's not just the city of Corpus Christi, 292 00:14:42,074 --> 00:14:46,109 it's a seven county region with over 20 communities, if we have to tell everybody. 293 00:14:47,189 --> 00:14:51,150 Um, we're gonna have to start reducing water somewhere between 294 00:14:51,150 --> 00:14:52,709 five and who knows what percent. 295 00:14:53,550 --> 00:14:56,069 Um, that just would have a devastating impact. 296 00:14:56,069 --> 00:15:00,360 And so it's a calculated assessment and a strategic look at the data 297 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:04,020 that we have every day and, and working with city council in our, 298 00:15:04,110 --> 00:15:05,400 in our partners in the region. 299 00:15:06,150 --> 00:15:09,569 And, uh, and so we, we we're gonna take it one step at a time, one 300 00:15:09,569 --> 00:15:12,870 day at a time with good forecasting and good and good planning. 301 00:15:12,870 --> 00:15:14,220 And that's what's guiding us right now. 302 00:15:14,969 --> 00:15:19,155 Is that forecasting, that, planning, that bringing on new water projects every day. 303 00:15:20,115 --> 00:15:22,995 David Brown: I, I was recently in Corpus Christi and I went to the tap 304 00:15:22,995 --> 00:15:27,015 and I opened it up, and it frankly gave me chills because I thought, you 305 00:15:27,015 --> 00:15:30,435 know, I don't know how much, you know, I've been hearing about these stories. 306 00:15:30,525 --> 00:15:33,314 I don't know how much I can afford to keep this going. 307 00:15:33,314 --> 00:15:36,915 I, I wondered, you know, about how much, you know, how long to go with 308 00:15:36,915 --> 00:15:38,385 the shower and all that kind of thing. 309 00:15:38,655 --> 00:15:39,194 Are people. 310 00:15:39,870 --> 00:15:42,960 Are people knowing what to do right now to save water? 311 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:47,490 Do they, are, are, are people taking steps or is it, are, do people kind of feel 312 00:15:47,490 --> 00:15:51,330 like, well, you know, we've been hearing about this for as long as we can remember. 313 00:15:51,390 --> 00:15:53,100 Why, why should, why should I change? 314 00:15:53,100 --> 00:15:53,730 My habits 315 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:58,530 Peter Zanoni: do see in our data from all residential classifications is that our 316 00:15:58,530 --> 00:16:00,930 residential customers have dropped demand. 317 00:16:01,305 --> 00:16:03,135 Substantially in the last two years. 318 00:16:03,645 --> 00:16:07,725 That's probably primarily from the, uh, the prohibition on outdoor arga 319 00:16:07,785 --> 00:16:09,885 irrigation or outdoor landscape watering. 320 00:16:10,215 --> 00:16:10,485 David Brown: Yeah. 321 00:16:10,695 --> 00:16:14,415 Peter Zanoni: Uh, but our, our residential customers have done a tremendous amount 322 00:16:14,445 --> 00:16:19,875 of, uh, responding to this drought and have literally reduced demand, uh, in 323 00:16:19,875 --> 00:16:22,785 some cases up to 2000 gallons a month. 324 00:16:22,905 --> 00:16:25,455 So a typical household is about 6,000 a month. 325 00:16:26,235 --> 00:16:30,375 Our charts, our charts or analysis is showing that that demand, that demand 326 00:16:30,375 --> 00:16:35,685 use has dropped to four and in some cases even less a thousand gallons per month. 327 00:16:36,405 --> 00:16:40,005 So they're aware, I think more of them are, are becoming tuned in, uh, as we 328 00:16:40,005 --> 00:16:43,814 are, as we're out there more, uh, in forming them of, of what's happening. 329 00:16:44,564 --> 00:16:48,375 Uh, our commercial accounts are also similarly probably from irrigation use, 330 00:16:48,375 --> 00:16:50,595 have used, uh, less in the last two years. 331 00:16:51,314 --> 00:16:53,895 And then our final, and the biggest user of all our water 332 00:16:53,895 --> 00:16:57,015 is our industrial partners or the petrochemical industry here. 333 00:16:57,735 --> 00:17:00,314 And their demand has stayed consistent. 334 00:17:00,584 --> 00:17:02,220 So there's been, while they do have water 335 00:17:02,220 --> 00:17:04,454 David Brown: saving, are they, are they doing enough to, are they doing enough? 336 00:17:04,454 --> 00:17:08,264 Are they working with you on this or should, do they need to cut back more? 337 00:17:09,464 --> 00:17:12,645 Peter Zanoni: They are working with us, but they, but for them to cut back, it 338 00:17:12,645 --> 00:17:14,954 means they have to shut off operations. 339 00:17:15,075 --> 00:17:17,744 And it's, it's really, it's pretty, it's that simple. 340 00:17:17,744 --> 00:17:21,135 They would have to shut off units, shut off operations, layoff 341 00:17:21,135 --> 00:17:23,685 employees, and cut back in production. 342 00:17:24,045 --> 00:17:27,555 They're doing some, they, in a level one emergency, they would 343 00:17:27,555 --> 00:17:31,155 be the ones that would have to do the, the most significant, uh, 344 00:17:31,185 --> 00:17:37,275 water reduction use and to, to, uh, to save, uh, on, uh, on demand. 345 00:17:37,665 --> 00:17:39,375 So they know that we're working with them. 346 00:17:39,375 --> 00:17:42,825 Similarly, uh, with the governor's office, we have a great working 347 00:17:42,825 --> 00:17:46,965 relationship here with leaders of our plants, our petrochemical, our our 348 00:17:46,965 --> 00:17:49,335 refineries, our, our steel plants. 349 00:17:49,995 --> 00:17:53,985 And we meet with them almost, if not once a, if not every other week, once a week, 350 00:17:54,195 --> 00:17:58,935 uh, to plan for this and to see what are they doing to reduce water consumption. 351 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:03,240 David Brown: You've, you've, uh, been very generous with your time. 352 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,730 Let me just ask you one question sort of from the gut, and I 353 00:18:05,730 --> 00:18:07,080 appreciate your candor here. 354 00:18:07,650 --> 00:18:10,830 You think you're gonna, I mean, from the gut, when you, you know, get up 355 00:18:10,830 --> 00:18:14,400 in the morning and look at yourself in the mirror, you, you feel like 356 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,690 Corpus Christi's gonna be able to avoid a stage one emergency this year? 357 00:18:20,130 --> 00:18:20,850 Peter Zanoni: I, I do. 358 00:18:21,030 --> 00:18:24,300 Most days, not as a day or two that I get up and I'm like, oh God, I don't know 359 00:18:24,300 --> 00:18:25,680 if we're gonna, if we're gonna make it. 360 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:27,900 But I think the data that I see. 361 00:18:28,439 --> 00:18:33,209 Here recently and the fact that, uh, weather patterns are changing to the 362 00:18:33,209 --> 00:18:38,100 benefit of this region, uh, the fact that now we do have, we're in a season 363 00:18:38,100 --> 00:18:41,909 where we have our springtime rain chances and then the tropical storm, 364 00:18:41,909 --> 00:18:44,100 hurricane storm chances later this summer. 365 00:18:45,179 --> 00:18:49,409 Plus, we're bringing on our groundwater supply projects and, uh, and, and, 366 00:18:49,409 --> 00:18:51,449 um, and then ENT reuse project. 367 00:18:52,110 --> 00:18:54,900 So I think, we'll, I think it's gonna be tight, uh, but I think we 368 00:18:54,900 --> 00:18:58,560 can do it if we stay focused on the delivery of this water, this new 369 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:02,190 water at 76 million gallons in, in new water that we're bringing on 370 00:19:02,220 --> 00:19:03,720 over the next year to two years. 371 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:09,270 And if we are, if we're, if we're, if we're improved, if that 372 00:19:09,270 --> 00:19:13,710 scenario is improved with rain, uh, then I think we have a chance. 373 00:19:14,205 --> 00:19:16,905 David Brown: Peter Zoni is City Manager of Corpus Christi. 374 00:19:17,505 --> 00:19:20,055 Mr. Zoni, thank you so much for taking time to talk with 375 00:19:20,055 --> 00:19:21,225 us on the Texas Standard. 376 00:19:21,285 --> 00:19:22,665 Very, very grateful. 377 00:19:23,355 --> 00:19:23,895 Peter Zanoni: Thank you, David. 378 00:19:23,895 --> 00:19:24,330 I appreciate it.