Corpus Christi Weighs $1M Groundwater Lease

The city is considering a one-year lease for water from two existing wells in San Patricio County, separate from a larger $169.5 million rights deal.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Utilities

Wide photograph of a steel wellhead pump on dry scrubland, with a pipeline running across flat terrain under a pale blue sky. — Corpus Christi is considering a $1 million one-year lease for up to 4 million gallons per day of groundwater from two San Patricio County wells, separate from a larger $169.5 million rights deal. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Corpus Christi is considering a $1 million one-year groundwater lease from Evangeline Laguna, LP, covering up to 4 million gallons per day from two existing wells. The water would be delivered to San Patricio Municipal Water District via the Mary Rhodes Pipeline and remain in San Patricio County.

Why it matters

The proposed lease offers a separate arrangement for using the two existing wells while the larger groundwater rights purchase remains tied up in permitting disputes. Local permit challenges over possible well damage could affect how and when the city secures its water supply.

The lease includes a $1 million upfront payment, with $0.80 per thousand gallons used deducted from it, and would automatically renew after its first year. Permits for the separate deal seek to export water and drill 22 new wells, with a formal hearing possibly lasting two years.

The players

Corpus Christi City Council

The elected governing body of the Texas coastal city weighing the groundwater lease and the separate rights purchase.

Evangeline Laguna, LP

The private entity that owns the two existing wells and is offering the proposed lease to the city.

San Patricio Municipal Water District

The regional water utility that would receive the water delivered through the Mary Rhodes Pipeline.

The details

Corpus Christi may withdraw from the larger purchase agreement, drop its permitting condition, or grant the seller another 90 days by written notice. If the city does not respond in writing within 30 days, the contract treats it as having withdrawn.

October 2025: City Council approved the $169.5 million groundwater rights purchase.
March 2026: Both parties signed the agreement, starting a 180-day permitting period.
May 2026: A judge cleared opponents to present arguments at a formal hearing.
Mid- to late September 2026: The seller missed the deadline for obtaining permits.

Roadmap

The city's pursuit of groundwater from San Patricio County runs through the district's permitting process for exports and new wells. This lease provides a separate path to the same supply while those permits remain contested.

Residents served by Corpus Christi's water system could see the outcome shape future rates and supply reliability. The lease would be paid from the city's water budget, making its terms a direct matter for ratepayers.

The takeaway

Watch how the city resolves the two pending permits, since they determine whether the larger groundwater purchase proceeds or the smaller lease becomes the main supply option.