How is Water Treated?
Pre-treatment stage: Raw water is pumped from Nueces River and Lake Texana (via the Mary Rhodes Pipeline) through screens that remove leaves, sticks, fish, and other large debris. Once the raw water arrives at the water treatment plant, chlorine and ammonium sulfate are added to form chloramines and begin the disinfection process. The amount of water treated and the detention time in the primary and secondary settling basins will dictate the dosage level of the chlorine.
Coagulant and coagulant aid (aluminum sulfate and polymer), are added to begin the particle removal process. The dosage level of the coagulant is determined by the level of particles in the raw water. Rain events will cause the particle levels to increase and will require higher dosages of the coagulant to clean the water. By the time the water in process reaches the end of the settling basins, 100% of the disinfection process is complete and approximately 95% of the particle removal is complete.
Final treatment stage: The final treatment consists of filtering the water to remove the remaining particles and to boost the chlorine residual to make sure that the farthest reaches of the distribution system (approximately 40 miles away) have the appropriate chloramine level.
How is Water Tested?
With a focus on customer service and efficiency in operations, we continue to strive for excellence. We are committed to our community by routinely collecting and testing water samples every step of the way - from the water source, right up to your home. We check for purity and identify potential problems.
The City of Corpus Christi maintains a state-certified laboratory to perform required bacteriological analysis on drinking water. The laboratory is staffed with highly trained microbiologists, chemists and technicians. The laboratory is equipped with sophisticated instruments to ensure measurements are performed according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established procedures. We are committed to providing you with this information about your water supply, because customers who are well informed are our best allies in supporting improvements necessary to maintain the highest drinking water standards.
A listing of independent water testing laboratories can be found in the yellow pages of your telephone book under the caption of Laboratory-Analytical.
How Does Water Get to My Home?
Water is distributed through large master meters that branch out to transmission lines. The water is then distributed through service lines. Corpus Christi Water maintains over 1,600 miles of service lines throughout the city.
