Eyes on the Environment
I’m new to Corpus, and Texas in general, but my understanding is that we’ve had a lot more rain than normal this fall.
Besides the obvious issues regarding safety, particularly while driving, the rain impacted our home and office comforts as some buildings and houses experienced flooding, leaking and clogged plumbing.
Daily flows at the NAS Corpus Christi wastewater treatment plant were eight times higher during the four days of heavy rain, from Sept. 14 to 17, than during a non-rain event the previous month.
In September, NASCC purchased 12 million gallons of potable water from the City of Corpus Christi, but we processed 30 million gallons of wastewater at the treatment plant. This tells us that the wastewater lines are old and cracked and lets millions of gallons of groundwater into the pipelines. The water enters the cracks in the clay pipes. As it rains, the wastewater system is overwhelmed by the influx of stormwater, in addition to the domestic wastewater.
While we work on repairs to the system, there are a few things that you can do to help. First, please do not flush cleaning wipes, baby wipes, diapers, paper towels and feminine hygiene products down the toilets. Even if the package states, “Flushable,” the products do not break down in the system. These items end up stuck in the pipes or incapacitating the lift stations. Another way to help is by identifying problematic areas. Please call
(361) 534-9093 to report areas of flooding, runoff from construction sites, muddy erosion areas, overflowing stormwater grates, overflowing manholes, and discolored and unusual discharge from pipes to the Corpus Christi Bay.
Finally, I’d like to highlight the hard work and dedication of the Public Works “Weekend Warriors.” The team of Edelmiro Reyna, Robert Wilson, Paul Alvarado, Tony Rodriguez, Raul Vega, Jim Crimmins, David Serbantez, Joseph Boge, and Jason Walker worked endlessly during the stormy weekend of Sept. 15-16 to fix lift stations and relieve flooding.
Saving the Sea Turtles
Join us at the Catalina Club on Monday, Nov. 26, at 9:30 a.m., to learn how to handle and rescue cold-stunned sea turtles. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Please bring your driver’s license and emergency point of contact with you for registration.
When water temperatures are below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, sea turtles have limited mobility and become vulnerable to predators, boat strikes and even drowning. Only personnel who are properly trained and listed on the Padre Island National Seashore permit may handle the turtles.
Even if you are not comfortable or not trained to handle turtles, the Padre Island National Seashore and NASCC Environmental Department would appreciate your help in identifying areas where turtles are stranded so trained personnel can retrieve and rehabilitate the turtles. If you see a stranded sea turtle, please report it to the CDO at
(361) 534-9093.
For more information about sea turtles, please visit https://www.nps.gov/pais/learn/nature/cold-stunned-sea-turtles.htm.