Floodwater delays Corpus Christi’s water emergency until fall 2028

Rapper Tupac Shakur attends a voter registration event in South Central Los Angeles on Aug. 15, 1996, left, and Duane "Keffe D" Davis appears in District Court for his involvement in the 1996 killing of Shakur in Las Vegas on Feb. 18, 2025. (AP Photo) 2026-07-28T19:26:38Z Corpus Christi got “tremendous” news Monday when the city’s projected Water Emergency was delayed until fall 2028 — a year later than previously anticipated — as floodwater from recent intense storms continues flowing into some of the region’s reservoirs. Water heading downstream from hard-hit areas of Texas is expected to continue arriving in area reservoirs, potentially easing water-use restrictions for city residents and giving Corpus Christi added time and breathing room to strengthen its water system. “This is really, really good news for the community, and it gives us time to bring on our Water Supply Projects without the stress of heading into a Level 1 Water Emergency,” City Manager Peter Zanoni said at a morning water briefing. Corpus Christi, Texas’ eighth-largest city, has been racing to avoid a Water Emergency in which demand outpaces available water supplies. For months the city has been under pressure to find new sources of water for 500,000 people served across seven counties, along with one of the nation’s largest petrochemical corridors and the Port of Corpus Christi, the country’s top port for crude oil exports. Officials have asked residents and businesses to cut their water use. Earlier this year, city projections showed that “day zero” — the point when water demand is projected to be six months from exceeding supply — could arrive as early as May , triggering a Level 1 emergency declaration. Spring rains pushed that estimate back to September 2027 , but not before drawing statewide and national attention as the city appeared to be the first major U.S. city on track to run short of water. The new Level 1 Water Emergency date is forecasted to be September 2028. (