Corpus Christi officials are formally responding to KRIS 6 News reporting that the citys Evangeline groundwater project is now expected to deliver far less water in the near term than previously presented, as protests prevent pe rmits from being issued and push the project into a legal process that could take weeks or months.City leaders say the San Patricio County Groundwater Conservation District is not expected to issue permits at its Friday hearing because formal protests remain active. City leaders say protests will delay permits for the Evangeline groundwater project as they respond to new reporting showing the project will deliver far less water than previously expected.We know for certain now that tomorrow, the district wont issue permits for this project because their rules say if theres a protest then they cant issue the permits, City Manager Peter Zanoni said during a media briefing.Officials say the city is pursuing two tracks: negotiating directly with remaining protesters in hopes they withdraw their objections, while also preparing for the next procedural step if talks fail.There are two possible scenarios that were working on simultaneously, Zanoni said. If the city can sit down with protesters and address their concerns, he said, then they may withdraw their protests.Zanoni said the number of formal protesters has already decreased since filings earlier in the week.Monday at 5, there were five protests, he said. By yesterday, it dropped to four.If protests are not withdrawn, city leaders say the next step would be a preliminary hearing before a judge to determine whether protesters have legal standing a process Zanoni estimated could take one to two months before the issue returns to the groundwater board.Zanoni also criticized what he described as a breakdown in communication with the City of Sinton, one of the entities protesting the permits.Theyve kind of shut down communications with us which is really unfortunate because we think we can resolve their concerns, Zanoni said. He added that the city has been reaching out regularly. Weve reached out to the manager and the mayor pretty routinely every week or so since October, he said. They pretty much refuse to talk.The citys response comes after KRIS 6 News reported that Evangelines near-term production expectation has shifted from an earlier goal of 12 million gallons per day to about 4 million gallons per day by November a change that raises new questions about how much the project can help the city avoid additional water restrictions later this year.Zanoni said the revised estimate reflects updated design and construction realities rather than the protests, describing the earlier figure as a goal set before engineering reached a more advanced stage.The goal was we want 12 million gallons by November, he said. But as the project reached roughly 60% design and contractors began sourcing materials, he said the timeline changed. They have now realistically told us, based on 60% design, we can bring 4 million on in November.Officials said the project would then ramp up toward the earlier 12-million-gallons-per-day target, but not until 2027 under the original permitting timeline.That would have been in the second quarter of 2027, Corpus Christi Water Interim C.O.O. Nick Winkelman said, noting the schedule was predicated on having permits February 6.Pressed on what the lower output and permitting delays mean for the citys ability to avoid Level One water curtailment, Zanoni acknowledged increased risk.We dont want to brush it off that this increases the risk of getting past November thats without any doubt, Zanoni said. Because the more water projects we have that can come online in different periods, the better it lowers the risk.City leaders emphasized that Evangeline is part of a broader strategy and said additional groundwater projects are intended to reduce risk. Zanoni said, We cant get out of this drought with just one project, and described the citys approach as all of the above, relying on multiple groundwater projects rather than a single solution.Corpus Christi City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a separate groundwater item tied to expanding the citys western well field along the Nueces River to include additional wells on private land. Officials say that effort, along with other projects, could help meet demand as the Evangeline permit process plays out. ...read more read less