21 Oct Feds Offer $17.8M to Replace Corpus Christi’s Aging Water Lines

Corpus Christi would skip more than $17.8 million in new debt for Northside water line work if the city finalizes a federal grant, city officials said.

Council members passed the first of two readings Tuesday on an ordinance to accept a $17,830,308 grant from the U.S. Department of War’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. The second and final vote is set for Oct. 27.

The money would pay for 70% of the Leopard Street and Up River Road water line replacement, which the city puts at $25,471,869. Corpus Christi Water would cover the other 30%, or $7,641,561, from its Water Capital Fund. The work was already slated for the city’s 2027 capital budget, to be paid for with revenue bonds, so the grant spares ratepayers that debt.

According to the city’s capital budget, crews would replace about 15,418 linear feet of 30-inch cast iron pipe along the I-37 North Frontage Road and Leopard Street with 24-inch PVC pipe. The project also adds about 2,376 linear feet of new 24-inch transmission main along McKinzie Road. The budget describes the work as a key part of replacing aging water infrastructure that should mean fewer emergency repairs and a more reliable system.

The grant comes from the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, which funds community projects tied to military readiness. The city is among 26 communities nationwide selected this round, and it’s the first time Corpus Christi has landed money through the program.

The water system the project upgrades serves both the naval air station and the Army depot in Corpus Christi, U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud said in a statement, calling the grant good for the military mission and for residents alike.