A 101-mile pipeline that has acted as the region’s main lifeline for months remains out of service as crews continue work to repair a leak discovered about halfway along its route from Lake Texana to Corpus Christi’s water treatment plant.
Corpus Christi Water representatives disclosed the situation in a Sept. 20 news release.
In a Sept. 21 update, city officials wrote that the location of the leak had been found and crews were working to install excavation shoring and trench boxes while also preparing additional equipment and needed materials.
CCW is “coordinating closely with regional customers and water partners to manage water demand and minimize impacts to the regional water supply,” the news release states.
Pending repair of the pipeline,
a higher volume of groundwater will be pumped from the Nueces County well fields and releases from Wesley Seale Dam will increase, meaning that the Nueces River may rise, according to the email.
City data shows that groundwater pumped from the Nueces County groundwater well fields shot up from about 6 million gallons per day last week to about 12 million gallons per day on Sept. 18 and 19 million gallons per day as of Sept. 19.
The Mary Rhodes Pipeline has been carrying about 72 million gallons of water per day, sourced to Lake Texana and the Colorado River, into the city.
Had a similar situation occurred during the water crisis, it would have been crippling.
However, since the peak of the drought, Lake Corpus Christi has significantly filled — as of Sept. 21, it was 85% full.
Kirsten Crow covers city government and water news. Have a story idea? Contact her at kirsten.crow@caller.com.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Crews continue repairs on critical Corpus Christi water pipeline
